The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-06-04
Nor IN THE OH Rvr
M. Nugent's Final Rajoinier to Mr.
Smith.

Mr. clalenee !. Smith:
The Mitchell petitions we're brought to III. at
the outse; 70 see if I would take hold Of them. I
. had concluded not TO do so, and said so to the
gentleman who made the request Of me, and
stated plainly that l would not go into the fight
myself at all. At the request Of the gentleman
anore-namcd. as . matter of courtesy toward
him mailed the petition to a citizen Of Belle
view named rs him, simply putting petition in an
envelope and mailing it without a line Of writ
ing a. remember. also mailed the petition
T. q Summevicld citizen, and all s tcments
I made we're made AS coming from the gentleman
Cos whom mated the petitions l was careful
10 say TO the above named citizen of summer
field ihatI did not intend to go iuto the fight
,ns r. and even suggested TO hiln, in couver a.
iion held i-w DAYS after the above petitions
were matted that 1t might he as well to drop
tile whole thing, quoting 10 him Nh Fred I.ucius'
position Il Inc matter, that any fight might
furnish precedent for future and unreasonable.
fighting. etc. Further, oae Of The petitions.
whi,e ia isy possession, WIS signed here in
0csia by gentleman, who did 50 at the request
Of and upon a previous understanding with
the gentleman who got the petitions mp. The
above constitutes practically my whole connec-
ton With the Mitchell petitions
Any statement thai 1 asked Proctor to cali
meeting to sign the Mitchell petition. or en-
dorse Mitchell in Pedro, j. an absolute false
hood. Proctor himself authorizes me to contra.
dict il here publicly.
Any iutiiuaton that sent any letters, psti
tons. etc, TO Governor nloxhan in this matter ,
or was even consulted by any one sending such
letters, is not the truth.
! have never been anything other than a sil9er
NAN. and your intuation that acted with the
gold bugs, etc in this matter IS untrue It Is
also nonsense.
Tha manner in which you characterized nv
motion in the last executive committee meeting
to refer tive whole matter back to a primary,
soundiy democratic motion, entirely in order
and perfectly legitimate, is childish nonsense,
aud q sufficient commentary upon the whole of
your statements il this matter, which amount 10
sour mere assertion that l have made ans active
personal fight in the selection Of county commits
siorers, which assertion Is not the truth lust as
your plain. absolute statement to me in Ocala
tiiat you had instructed Mr. Allsop to vote for
I'll. Mitchell not the truth. MI Arsop will
see this in The Banner 50 viii nearly every man
III your district.
You cannot produce one single mai in the
whole of your precinct. nor in stanton precinct
nor in Gambler precinct. whom have tried to
influence i'll the matter one way or tie other nor
a dozen men in the whole district whom have
even spoken to in regard TO the matter, from the
day the executive committee met to the time OF
the writing OF your first letter.
Any intmatiou or statement that took any
part in any fight made upon either Mcleod or
Ned Williamson is absolutely untrue.
7 have never heaitatei to state my preference
tor the appointment OF Mr.. Mitchell and have
70 apology 70 make foF it TO any one.
I. Il. NrGENr