The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-11-23
HISTORY IRRITATING ITSELF.

History Is continually repeating it
self We believe it was Washington
Irving who wrote the story Of Rip Van
Wrinkle, made familiar to the present
generation by the famous actor, Joe
Jefferson. The story begins just before
the breaking out of the revolutionary
war. RIP exhausted from hunt,
lies down with his rifle and dog beside
him, to take sleep and sleeps for
twenty years. Finally, when he
arouses to consciousness, he stretches
his limbs and finds that they are stiff
and rheumatic. He calls his dog but
the call meets with no reponse. He
picks up his rifle and it falls to pieces
in his hands. His clothing is only
yellow dust. His whiskers have grown
long and turned perfectly white. The
scenes familiar to him are no longer
so. He finds other occupants in his
house and his name IS almost forgot
ten. In the inns and bar rooms the
pictures of Washington have super
ceded those of George tho Third and
the stars and stripes wave in place of
the British emblem.
Incidents for similar story have re-
Gently been enacted by those in high
authority in Florida, which we give as
o pointer to our eminent authoress,
Mrs, Beatrice Marean.
Comptroller Bloxham and Attorney
General Lamar have aroused from as
long slumber as Rip Van Wrinkle.
They do not realize that the constitu-
ton of 1868, which they helped de-
nounce as a twin evil of hell, was
abolished in 1885; that the election
law under that constitution has been
superseded by law entirely differ
ent and which gives us eight boxes in
stead of one; and that we have an en-
tirely new supreme court. But such
are facts. In canvassing the returns
of the October election these two Dig
nitaries sanction the "Duval outrage
and in justification therefor cite the
constitution of 1868 and the decisions
of the supreme court hereunder. Just
why they did not go back TO the law
given in the Pentateuch was perhaps
for the want of time.
Not long since the supreme court of
South Carolina declared the DISPENSE
ry law of that state null and void.
Nothing daunted, Tillman bided his
time. When the new supreme court
assumed judicial functions the dispen-
sary law was taken before the judges
and was declared constitutional and
binding. And the dispensary is in OPP
Grafton to-day.
The constitution of Florida OF 1868
ceased to have any legal existence
upon the adoption of the constitution
of 1885. The election law under the
constitution of 1868 persisted upon the
adoption of the eight ballot box law.
and when the constitution of 1868 and
the election law under it persisted, the
decisions of the supreme court ex-
pounding the meaning of these instru-
ments, persisted with them. They all
went down together.
So Messrs. Bloxham and Lamar CIT
ing these cid decisions in justification
of their acts of to-day sanctioning the
Duval outrage is not relevant nor ger
name. Their citations belong to past
that is dead and if they live at all can
only live by being immortalized in
| fiction.
1t is on par with the story of Rip
Van Wrinkle.
Some one should tell Messrs. Blox
ham and Lamar that we have had a
new deal in Florida. That the things
they bring to our attention have long
since been done away with. They
are existing in a political sphere that
belongs to dead and inocuous past.
Florida wants no political Rip Van
Wrinkles.
New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient goods uncouth
They must upward still and onward