The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-12-24

mentioned occasion.
"Wny," say they, "Mr. Aver will
be going to Tallahassee aud will
want to visit our farm while the
legislature is in session; vegeta-
bles didn't pay anything last year
to the trucker, and he can't af-
ford to pay his way back and forth.
Certainly, certainly, he must have
a pass. Don't we furnish passes to
all the big guns? Didn't Blox-
ham, Sheats and Company ride on
passes last year, and have private
cars, while stumping the state for
the rail- democracy? And
Aver is just as good and smart as
any of them. Certainly, certainly,
he must have pass. But how
in the thunder are we going to get
it to him? If we offer Caesar the
crown on the lupercal he will re-
fuse even thrice, though he wants
it awfully bad and 1t looks real
nice"
These fellows are students OF human
nature and are wonderfully smart
withal. They well understand that
though they may have no influence
with a man, somebody else has, for
every man is menable to the influ-
ence of some other man in whom he
has confidence, and they at once set
about finding the man for their pur-
pose. In this case they did not have
far to seek, for, acquainted with Ocala
and Brother Ayers religious proclivi-
ties, the opportunity and the man
quickly met in the person of the
many sided editor of the Witness, and
the goldbug editor assumes the role of
railroad decoy duck. How easy for
the editor of Brother Ayers religious
journal to approach him, and after
passing the time of day, say
you've been wanting a pass
for some time. think [ am in
position now to get you one, pro-
vided you still wish it," Scr
tainly," exclaims the verdant
member from the rural districts,
~ would really like to have
pass"
am only hayseed myself, but |
feel like calling our really able repre-
sentative "a veritable hayseed, good
but green" Well. the passes are pro-
cured, but in the meantime, before
the delivery can be made and the vic
tim safely secured in the net, fra
GRANGE is waited to the nostrils of our
able representative warning him that
there is something dead up the creek,
and he refuses to accept the passes,
but offers to buy them, giving in ex-
change one of those fine Holstein
cows for which his farm is famous.
The good editor always has one eye
on the collaterals. 1t is thrift, thrift,
Iago" with him. He knows full we'll
the beauty and advantage of the mig
gers coon trap arrangement, for as
preacher and editor has he not been
"cetchin' 'em commin' an a gwine"
10 these many days? And, so, he
pockets the cow, or more correctly
speaking, has her put in the minis
terial pen. He didn't put her in the
editorial pen, for this is for the Lord,
you know, and the altar must sanctify
the gift, but apparently says nothing
to his principals-the railroad officials
who furnished the bribe-fOr bride
it is, and these railroad men so con-
slider it.
Now, Mr.. Editor, / would not bear
too hard on this goldbug preacher
this ring-editorial tOOl-this railroad
decoy duck-for l respect the cloth;
but it is plain that he used his m inls-
terial position to entrap one of his
members into doing an overt act, that
would place him in so questionable
position that the railroad officials felt
assured that they could at least silence
him if they could not use him. When
the good editor failed he accepted the
value of the passes, and, in the press
Of business, forgot to report the little
that his victim had
given "a quid pro quo" for them in
the shape of a good Holstein COW,
and left his principals-the railroad
believe that our noble
was acting in bad faith
with them.
One word to the people--"the fool
of which | am whom.
Have you any eyes? Is it possible for
you to take a box of chalk and
blackboard as big as barn door and
add 2 and .? Is the gray
natter supposed to be inside your
layseed heads completely ossiiied?
come, let us reason together little
bout this railroad matter. Do you
lot know that the railroads fee all
vour leading lawyers; that they subsi-
lie all your editors-with only here
md there an exception-and furnish
'asses for all your political bosses? |
DO you not know that they packed |
our conventions last year and named |
he candidates for all state offices that |
would effect them, and all United |
states representatives? Knowing
hese things, and with your past ex-