The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-03

POLITICS IN FLORIDA MIXED.
THE DEMOCRATS DIVIDED OVER
LOCAL ISSUES.

The silver Question Cutting Very
Little Figure in the spIit-The
United states Senatorship, Honest
Elections and "a State Railroad
Commission the Principal Bones
of Contention in the Ranks of the
Party.
OcaIa, Fla, May 2-The political situa-
ton in Florida may be summed up in one
word-mixed. And the man who would ven
ture to make a horoscope would need as
great prophetic power as was credited to
the professionals in Biblical days.
This mixed situation results from many
causes, chief Of which is the seemingly
hopeless division among the democrats.
Strange to say, free silver, which has been
so potent in splitting the democracy in
other southern states, has had little to do
with the break in the party in Florida.
The financial question has been subordi-
mated to issues largely local in their ma
ture, and SO great has been the division
brought about by these issues in democrat
ic ranks, that the very life of the party
seems to. be threatened.
OF these issues, United States Senator
Wilkinson Can, honest elections and
state railroad commission are chief. The
trouble began six years ago during Calls
canvass for n third term in the Senate
Call had rendered himself obnoxious to
the great corporations headed by Henry NJ
Flagler and Henry b. Plant, which have
invested millions in Florida, and deter
mined effort was made to defeat him. But
the effort failed for while Call is noted in
Washington for emptying the Senate when
he speaks, in Florida ne is the idol of a
portion of the Florida democracy In Calls
canvass six years ago this portion con-
troiled the democratic machinery and Call
was landed winner by one vote after
one of the bitterest fights that ever occurr-
ed at the state capital.
Since that time the fight between the
factions has gone on with increasing
bitterness. The Cali men speak of their
opponents as the ''h!relings of the corpo-
rations,' and charge the railroads with
seeking to dominate the democratic party
in Florida. The anti-Call people retaliate
by denouncing the senator's supporters
as anarchists. populists and as seeking
TO contiscate the millions which Flagler,
Plant and Disston have invested in the
state. In every local election for several
years the issue has been on these lines.
The antiICall people have been steadily
winning and now they control the demo-
cratic machinery, which Calls friends
used so effectively six years ago.
When the Call faction saw in 1894 how
the tide was running, the issues of a state
railroad commission and of honest cleo
tons We're injected into the fight The
election law, at that time, was modelled
on the eight box system of South Caro-
pie made it so hot for the legislature of
1895 that a reasonably fair election law
was, enacted, but the effort to pass a rail
road commission bill failed.
In this divided condition are the demo-
Gratis on the eve of state elections, from
governor down TO constable, and of
presidential campaign. If there were
any hope of uniting the democrats the
result would not be in doubt. But there
is no such hope. Senator Call insists on
being re-PlpCr4On so
the fight between the democrats will go
on to finish. 1t is the bitterness of the
fight that makes the outlook so dark for
the democracy. No power under heaven
could induce thousands of democrats to
support Call and there are other thou
sands who will not support man be-
longing to the anti-Cau faction. 1t seems
as certain as anything in the future can
be- that next fall in nearly every county
in Florida, there will be two candidates,
| calling themselves democrats, running for
the legislature. one of these candidates
will represent Call and his fight on the
railroads and the other will stand in OPP
position to the senator and his policies.
Whenever the Call men control county
| convention the opposition VIII bolt and
Calls friends Will do likewise when their
opponents control 1t is no secret that
such a course win be followed and it IS
openly talked that there will be two demo-
/ cratic tickets in the state for every officer
from governor down, who is to be chosen.
a remarkable feature of the fight is the
openneSS with which men who have been
democrats all their lives, charge each
other with fraud. The machinery is now
in the hands of the anti-Call people and
has been for four years. During this pc
riod the Call people openly assert that they
have been Systematically robbed AT the
polls. Under the old election law the DOM
inant party absolutely controlled the cleo
ton machinery and If the managers were
so disposed. the will of the people could
be easily stifed With feelings Unnamed
by charges of fraud the democrats are now
preparing for their state convention which
meets in June. incidentally the silver
question is being brought into the fight
by the Call people, who think by working
on the strong free coinage sentiment of
the democrats, to secure control Of the
state convention The Call people are
nomination of .avowed 16 TO
men FOR every Office from gov
ernor down. They also insist that
every candidate must declare himself
against what Call terms f'conDoration
rule meaning Flagler, Plant and the cap
italists, who have invested in Florida, and