The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-06-04

SAAMH
0AsDR
AbSosuEeIy'Esufe.
Celebrated for its great leaveniag strength and
healthtuness. Assures the food agair,t alum
and all forms OF adulteraiion common to the
cheap brands
ROYAL BAKING POWDER co, NEW YORK
for the position Of United states senator. The
existence Of the letter referred 10 had nothing TO
do with shaping my course is the senatorial con.
test. From the bcginuin. 10 the end pursued
| what considered Il conservative. middle ground
course as was my predetermined purpose, be-
iieving it TO be for the best interests of the state
and that it was in accord with the views Of my
| people. Nor think that ANY Of the gentle.
men connected with this matter have referred TO
me or used my tame for the purpose Of doing
me injury. for my intercourse with those gentle
| men has been none other than pleasant. Allow
me to say appreciate the kind words of exoner-
alton expressedb by the senator Of the second in
his privileged remarks on the journal ofthe eth,
and in my associations with Senator Chipley
| for two terms Of the legislature, we have
| frequently differed in opinion, hrt have ever
found him 10 be a gentleman i'll his general bear
ing, fair courteous and able senator, at all
times commanding my respect.
All of which was, as a matter of
course, ordered "spread upon the jour
nal"
TO all this Mr.. Stockton prepared
still another ''repy," which, however,
he had the good sense and moderation
never to deliver. 1t was better so and
it is an open question as 10 who came
oil with flying colors in this scandal
Gus mud-slinging contest. 1t all de-
pends upon the point of view. You
pay your money and take your choice.
Colonel Chiply' y'sfriends maintain that
nothing can c0ndOne such use of a
private letter. Mr.. Stocllton's friends
claim that nothing eau be more legiti-
mate than to fight the devil with the
DEVILS own weapons.
SOME SNAP SHOTS.
The old curse of committee clerks
superfluous, useless and lazy-still lies
heavily upon the state treasury. No
session has ever done worse in this
respect, and no change for the better
need be expected while petty politi.
clans are permitted to discharge their
personal obligations by dumping
political strikers upon the state at the
| public expense.
In addition to this, the multiplica-
tion Of new Offices goes on at merry
pace. State Chemist Rawls is to nave
new assistant, and the Commission
er of Agriculture, J.. 3. WOmbwell, is
| to have two new assistants at 81 200
per annum.
Another legislative curse here is
the daily influx Of local and personal
bills, which are rum through by log
rolling" and chicanery, without refer
ence to the public. The best govern
ment from the popular point of view,
is that which makes the least demands
upon the people; ana the most valu-
able legislature Is that which adjourns
soonest, passes the fewcst bills and
costs the least money. This by no
means applies to the Florida legisla-
| ture of 1897, which has shown an al
most brutal disregard Of the popular
feeling in state, which has good reas-
on to take for It's motto the phrase,
| a. II.
For example, Stool<;on's constitu-
tional amendment, providing for the
popular election Of United States sem
ators, has been ingloriously voted
down in the house. And yet, the pub
lie welfare clearly demands some mod
ification of the existing law which
should turn over to the people the
power now possessed by a few adroit
politicians. No greater imposition
upon the tax payers of the state has
ever been practiced than was Pot upon
them in 1891 and in the present year
of Our Lord, both OF which have seen
long-cOntinued sessions, which should
have been devoted 20 the public good,
consumed in disgraceful and noisy
political scramble for the highest Of
flee within the gift Of the people.
TIE COLLINS IMPEACHMENT CASE.
Mr.. Collins was duly brought before
the bar of the senate this morning.
He bore himself with manly dignity,
and WAS unro presented by counsel,
which he calmly stated he had not
time to secure.
1t is unnecessary to enter into tech
nical details of. which your readers
have already been fully advised. II
is enough to say that the unhappy
state treasurer asked for 80 days time
in which to prepare his answer to the
; charges brought against him and thai
he was finally required to make his
"pleadings," as the lawyers have it, or
the 3rd, at eleven O'Clock a. m. This
! was done, not from any desire to EN-
barrass Mr.. Collins, hut enable the
: House to file its "replication" before
its adjournment, and thus obviate th'
1 necessity of an extra session of th'
lower branch.
1t is understood that the trial vii
i begin about July 1st, and that it viii
l. continue about 20 days, at a cost o
y not less than $500 a day to the tax
: payers of the state-SlG0,00 or 100000
, SOME NEW LEGISLATION.
The convicts have been leased to
:, SPECULATIVE firm of turpentine an
g phosphate operators at the very 10y
f figure of S2l 900 per annum for tern
d of four years. The rate of mortalit
4, in these convict camps is painful
o high, and no change for the bette
y need be expected under The presen
5 system. The House, however, hs
= aroused itself sufficiently to pass
y its third reading Frank Pope's bi