The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-05-28
SOME GOSSIP ABOUT
POLITICS IN FLORIDA

Florida state democratic convention JUS.
four weeks Off, thfrty-nine or the iorS
five counties of the state nave seiee
their delegates to the convention. "
from their respective actions IN iiis'iu.
ing or sending uninstructed the'r W.
gates. some extremely Interesting s'a.,
tics bearing upon the very coiiipnoa.e
contest for the yubernatorial nomination
NAV be collated.
There are five candidates for the gov
ernorship Strictly speaking. they arc
now only after the democratic hoi
ton. but as there will be no opposit,on
whatever to the democratic state u0h.'
in Florida this year. the nomination 10
equivalent TO an election. The aspi' ah's
are: State Senator Fred L. Myers VI
Tallahassee; States Attorney James ~
Beggs, OF Orlando: Former Speakers w
liam s. Jennings, of Brooksville. and Dan
nette III. Mays of Monticello. and Former
United States Surveyor General William
III. Milton, Jr, of Mariana IL IS DC
lieved that one of these gentlemen Will De
nominated, and there is no longer het1
much serious talk of a dark horse. Inc
state constitution prohibits the present
governor from succeeding himself.
The counties of Brevard. Dade. orange
and OsceOla. with a total OF - NoteS'
have instructed their delegates to support
Judge Beggs: Franklin. Leon and Nassau
counties, together having 20 votes. nave
instructed for Senator Myers; EscamDia'
jefferson and Taylor counties have IN
structed their q votes for Mr.. Mays; CIT.
rus. fernando. Manatee. St. Johns ahG
Suwanee counties give Judge Jennings -
instructed votes: and Major Milton mas III
votes from Jackson and Calhoun couh-
ties.
UNRESTRICTED delegates hSve been Sc
lected by the following counties. the num-
Der of votes of each being given:
Alachua II. Baker 2. Bradford 6, Gay t.
Columbus G. Duval %. Gadsden Z. Hamli-
ton 4. Hillsboro %. Holmes J. Lake I. Lee
.. Levy 4. Madison :. Marion g. Pasco l.
Putnam 8. Polk S. Santa Rosa 8. Sumter :,
and Volusia s. This makes a total of l5i
uninstructed votes thus far selected.
Six counties have yet TO select their
delegations. They are DeSoto. Lafayette.
Liberty. Monroe. Walton and Washing
ton These are small counties politically.
and combined they have y votes in the
convention. Wakulla, n county with 3
votes. sends contesting delegations.
Thus. of the total 2S2 votes Of the con
vention. - have been instructed for Judge
Beggs. 20 for Senator Myers, q for Mr..
Mays. % for Judge Jennings. IL for Major
Milton. 154 go unrestricted. and 26 have
two-thirds rule viii prevail in making
nominations. hence the successful candl-
date will need 1SS votes.
OF the 14 uninstrucied votes already
selected. Il is quite generally understood
that Judge Beggs is sure of the 2 from
Lee from Madison and from Put
nam: that Mr.. Myers will get from
Gadsden. from Polk and from Volusia,
and that Judge Jennings can count on
from Levy. from Marion and from
Sumter. Presem predictions as 10 how
the remaining 1Ol uninstructed delegates
stand would be purest guesswork.
II would appear, then. that at this stage
Beggs Is practically certain OF 30 votes,
Myers OF 43. Jennings of 80. Mays of 2,
and Mil.on Of li-leaviDS 123 votes, to Sc
cure which the most vigorous and untlr-
Ing missionary work known IN FLORIDA
state campaign I'm recent years Is now
being prosecuted by and for each Of the
candidates.
"A to the outcome Of this remarkable
contest, much depends on the attitude OF
the three large and influential counties
of Duval, Hllsboro and Alachua, which
have. respectively. -, 20 and IA votes III
the convention--and each has sent an uh-
instructed delegation. Each OF these del
ega:ions. furthermore mas been placed
under the unit rule, ana 1t is beLeVed
that as they or the majority of them'
20. so will go the bulk OF the other
smaller counties stiIl IN the doubtful CO..
umn.
Duvars county site is Jacksonville. and
thar hustline city has created a very live
and very important new issue, which
seems destined to play a prominent part
in The. gubernatorial contest from now
on. 1t is the question Of removing the
state capitol from Tallahassee TO Jack
sonville.
The jacksonville people seem detefmin-
ed 10 have the capital, II possible. and
they think the shortest cut toward get
ding IL is To have the state convention
adopt a resolution fayoring the submits
sion by the next legislature to the cleo
tors of the state at the general election
In 1902 OF a constitutional amendment pro-
vld.nu for the removal Of the capital TO
Jacksonville on March 1. 1893 They have
accordingly sent u the state convention
a double delegation, consisting of forty
four OF the brainiest and moss successful
political workers and takers that ever
represented any Florida county in a state
political convention. and Instructed that
delegation 10 work for the passage Of
such a resolution as a matter of para
mount Importance. As the convention is
TO bs held in jacksonville. the capital re-
moval question Will most likely be made
one of the most prominent issues before
the gathering.
The Importance Of this question as bear-
ing particularly upon the gUbcrnatoriai
contest Is due 10 the fact that Senator
Fred Myers, one of the strongest guber-
material candidates, lives IN Tallahassee,
the present capital, and many OF the
jacksonville people seem disposed 10 fight
his candidacy on the ground that II elect
ed governor he would probably throw his
whole influence against capital removal.
Mr.. Myers IS known 20 be very popular
personally in Jacksonville. but. for the
reason stated. it is said that her large
vote of - will oppose him, and be thrown
To Mir. BcEgs or Mr.. Jennings
In Alachua and H4llsDorO counties. the
rapitals OF which are Gainesville and
Tampa. Senator Myers has large num-
her of devoted and influential admirers,
and his friends are claiming for him the
delegations from both of these counties.
MIR. Beggs also claims them.
All tie Florida politicians agree that
this gubernatorial race is the most COM
plicated and hardest 20 figure out that
they've known In many years. Many
seem TO think that the powerful leverage
enjoyed by jacksonville. both in having
the convention meet there and in the su-
pe~b working delegation which Will rep
resent her in the body OF rhe assemblage,
will enable that city TO push the capital
removal question into such prominence
that tho gubernatorial contest will be
thereby dectsively affected In a word.
that the Jacksonville delegation will dom
inate the convention. y singular feature
..