The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-05-25

about the FenSaCCiAs news cT1llslSul
of the address of the editor of this
paper before the State Press Associa-
ton, and though the item contained
no comment the editor of the News
gets very hot under the collar and per-
mits himself to say some very ugly
and untruthful things concerning the
editor of this paper which in his more
reflective and calmer moments he
ought to be very much ashamed of.
The News says:
The challenge of the Pensacola News was adj
dressed to the Oca1a Banner. The editor of the
Banner creeps behind another to make charge
he knows to be false.
Our readers know that this is unlike
us and the editor of the News also
knows it. We manage to fight our
own battles and creep behind no one
to make charges against another,
either false or otherwise. On the con-
trary, we have attempted to answer
every criticism the News has made
against us in language befitting the
profession, and not the street.
Says the News:
Repeatedly during the ten years so eventfu1 in
the history of Florida, the editor Of the Banner
has been shoulder to shoulder with the writer on
important questions of public policy.
Yet in the next breath see how
strangely and fully he contradicts
himself:
The propensity to adopt foiiies as they fly has
been the occasion for acrobatic performances in
the political arena by the Hon. F. E, Harris that
has moved the citizens of Florida to both laugh
ter and tears Show one ism he has not adopt.
ed at the call of expediency-show us when he
has followed either platform principle in the
discussion of public matters and those who know
him best will be most surprised.
shoulder to shouldern with the
editor of the Pensacola News "on inn
portant questions of public policy
for ten years eventful in the his.
tory of Florida" and yet this man,
standing with us IN the discussion of
these important questions of public
policy claims honor, and perfection,
and consistency for himself, and yet
our performances in the same ring
with himself, linked to him shoulder
to shoulder and cheek by jole, were
SO previously and grotesquely inco :
sistent as to move the citizens of Flor
ida both to laughter and to tears. The
advocacy of these measures of impor-
lance in us were the widest Jim Crow
antics; in the editor of the Pensacola
News they were stately and digni-
fed discussions emitting him to enco-
NUNS of both press and people.
What must sensible persons think
of such fiaring contradictions?
IN the last ten years we hope we
have not been stationary and have
made some growth in the study of POI
litical and economic questions. We
are encouraged in this belief at least
and have letters from some of the
most eminent men and women in
Florida saying that they have been
both pleased and intellectually profited
by the intelligence and research we
have given to the discussion of these
subjects as they have arisen.
But at no time have we moved the
good people of Florida to pity. Would
the editor of the News could say as
much.
In the construction of the democrat
ic platform we may be in error. Per-
haps after all it is not free coinage
platform" !" Without charge for min
tage" may mean something else; but
whether it does or does not we have
the consolation in knowing that more
than two-thlrds of the Senators from
the South construe it as we construe ii
and in such company our construction
of it can not be construed, except by
idiots, patronage heelers and dema-
gogues, into political dlsloyalty.
Yes. 1t is matter of public record
that we supported Mr.. Dunn Cor the
United States Senate in 1892. We did
so because he was a townsman and a
friend, and we are glad to be able to
state that no one in this community
attributessany other motive to us than
that of loyal, disinterested friendship.
But how was 1t with some others? Out
of his own mouth, feeling that he had
been shamelessly betrayed, Mr.. Dunn
told us that some of the men who were
loudest in his support, while patting
him encouragingly ON the back with
one hand had the other placed affec-
tionately near his pocket. His last ut
terance to us on the subject was that he
had been made tool of. Just to what
extent he was MIXED perhaps will
never be known but the amount seems
to have been accurately enough ascer-
tanned to be pretty well fixed in the
minds of men throughout the state.
The News pretends to think that we
support Mr.. Call because weare an ap.
plicant for the Ocala postoffice and
yet all the while it says Mr.. Call is
without influence in Washington, and
it is true that he has none with the
administration, and besides the editor
of this paper knew whatever influence
Mr.. Call might have had he had al
ready promised it to another. So see
how false and base these insinuations
and conclusions are. If the editor oil
this paper wanted to play the courte-
san he would have paid his genuflec-
tons to those who hold the ear of the
administration. II we were hot on
the trail of pitiful office we would
play the hypocrite all the way through
and sweeten the mouths and tickle
the ears of Pasco and Cooper with
words of honeyed sweetness. They
hold the key to Federal offices. But
don't NO nt off3na a ffa,. fI,aA &,