The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-15
FLORIDA POLITICS.
Opposition to Call Gives Hope to the Re
publicans.

Jacksonville, Fla, January 14.-The
ann ouncement from Washington that
Charles M. Cooper, now representing the
Second DISTRICT of Florida in Congress
had consented to be candidate for Unit
ed States Senator to succeed Wilkinson
Call, caused more than a ripple on the
political surface In this state. 1t has been
known that Mr.. Cooper's friends have
been urging him to make the race, and
the only doubt expressed has been as to
his consent.
The election of successor to Senator
Call Will be held in the spring of 1897.
The candidacy of Mr.. Cooper adds q
new feature to the contest and makes it
triangular. Call will go into the contest
with his oldtime following of anti-oor-
poratiOn, free-silver Democrats from the
country, and with the bitter antagonism
of the railroads. The railroad faction
Of the state now controls the election
machinery, and also had majority in
the last legislature. Feeling lis oats, y
SO to speak,it anticipates victory, and
perhaps would have an excellent chance
were it not for the fact that it has too
many candidates. There will probably
upon any one man. A deadlock is like
" to ensue and, If it DOES, Cooper is con-
sidered to be the key to open it,
Cooper is about the only man in Flori-
da who would be acceptable to both fac
tions. He would not be the favorite Of
either faction, but he has held aloof from
fractional strife. and has not antagonized
either side by assisting the other. There
are many. of course, who do not like his
nnS1f1On the nnpGtinn and h.
or questions Of policy, but these antago-
nisms are likely to be aubserved to the
pleasure of electing a compromise oan-
didate, and through that course avoid
ing q defeat
Senator Call has been urged by many
of his friends to run for governor, but so
far has declined to aspire for anything
smaller than the Senatorial toga.
A new and interesting feature of the
Senatorial fight, aside from the Cooper
candidacy, will be the Republican
strength in the legislature The last
legislature had no Republican in it; the
predecessor Of that legislature also had nc
Republican, while the predecessor OF that
had only one. This was due to the fact
that the eight-box ballot law discouraged
the Republicans to such degree that
I'll y have not in many years nominated
a state or county ticket The last iegis
laturo, however, repealed this law, anC
passed one patterned after the Australian
| law.a
That the Republicans are pleased with
| it IL shown by proclamation from Den
mis- Eagan, state chairman, calling fur 4
| meeting of the Republican executiy,
committee in this city on the 18th inst
for the purpose of naming time ant
| place for state convention and tw,
congressional conventions. Mr.. Eagar
in an interview said that the sentiment
| of the Republican leaders in Florida wa
to nominate a full state ticket and tick
cts in every county in Florida. Wha
strength will be polled by them under
tine new law is a matter Of speculation,
but it is certain that, with split in tn
Democratic party such as row exists, thu
chances of the Republicans are not bad
and it is possible that the split may tax
another state out of the Solid South
This split, by the way, extends into tn
local affairs of every county, thus casting
A shodow of doubt as to the ability O
either wing Of the Democracy to elect
sufficient number of representatives tt
the legislature to hold the senatorship.