The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-29
FLORIDA POLITICAL GOSSIP.
SPECULATION As TO THE COMING
FALL ELECTIONS.


Ohice in the GIFT of the People to
Re ChOsen-Both SparI<man ana
Davis Likely TO Succeed Them
seIves-BIOxham Cannot Have
second Term-Many Candidates for
Governor and other Offices.
Tallahassee, Fla. Jan. 2S.-At the gen
eral election next fan, new incumbents for
practically every office in the gift of the
people Of Florida are to chosen, and the
scramble among politicians has already
begun in earnest. Besides the four presi-
Dental electors, two representatives, in
Congress, a Governor and six cabinet Of
fcers, new Legislature Except sixteen
hold-over state senator's, justice of the
Supreme Court and d railroad commits
soner, and a full set of county officials
in each county are to be elected.
Congressman Stephen NJ. Sparkman Of
! the First district will succeed himself
unless. indeed Senator Mallory should die
or resign on account of his very feeble
health and Gov. B!oxham should there
upon appoint Mir. Sparkman to the United
States Senate, as many people think the
Governor would do.
In the Second district, Congressman Rob
ert w Davis is also very likely 40 be re-
turned. Hon Frank Clark of Jackson
vile has announced as a candidate against
Davis for the Democratic nomination, md
The whole district is enjoying lots of poll
| tics over their contest Mr.. Davis, how
ever, seems to have the best of it.
Flordas constitution provides that her
/ Governor shall not be eligible for re-
election to said Office the Cext succeeding
term" But for this provision 1t is said
there is no doubt The people would keep
/ Gov Bloxham in the executive office for
at least another term. He is often re-
ferred 10 as the grand old man of Flor
ida" although not yet s. years Old. Gov
Bloxham began his public career forty
years ago this month, and during the
whole time he has been regarded as one
of the big guns among the states pubic
men.
Candidates for Governor.
The gubernatoral office, however, will
not go begging. There are enough aVoW-
ed candidates and prominently mention
ed" gentlemen to furnish governors for
the entire South if not the whole Union.
ONLY four of the aspirants are really run
ming for the Office at this stage. They are
State Senator Fred T.N Myers, of Talla-
ha see; States Attorney James d. Beggs,
of Orlando; Former Speaker William 3
Jennings. of Brooksville, and Former
Speaker d H. Mays, of Monticello. Two
of the most experienced and shreWdest
political managers in the state We're DIS
GUESSING the contest at the capital day
or two ago, and they agreed and declared
that they honestly could not decide which
of those men seemed the strongest
ip1 a arr that of the six
cabinet officers three will succeed them
selves without a contest, while the other
three may, and probably will have oppo-
sition. The Secretary of State, DR.. John
/ l.. Crawford, has held that office so many
years-since 1SSl-and is so strong and
I close to the masses of the common people
I that there seems good reason to believe
/ that his tenure of the first place in the
/ cabinet will not be disturbed except by
| death No one can find out exactly how
! young DR.. Crawford is. He was certainly
/ holding office in Florida long before a
/ large majority of the states population
was born. because he was a member of
| the l. gislature in 1S7-dfty-three years
/ ago. His rugged honesty and his recog-
| nized efficiency as an officer make him
| about as strong politically to-day as he
j ever has been.
The other two who seem unlikely to
! have any opposition whatever this year
! are Controller w. II. Reynolds and State
| Treasurer James b. Whitfield. They are
/ both serving their first terms, and the
/ work of both has been eminently salts
/ factory to the people
Opposition to Lamar.
Attorney General William B. Lamar will
! have some opposition, but it is generally
admitted that it will require an eXcep-
tionaliy strong man to beat so popular
/ and capable an official as Judge Lamar
has proven himself. Hon. James II. Wills,
who was chairman of the House Judiciary
| Committee in the last Legislature, is an
announced candidate for the attorney gen
eraship, and he has number of friends
earnestly working for him. There has
! been some talk that State Senator L. j.
! Reeves of DeFuniak Springs, would also
run for the nomination for this office, but
| it is not yet at oil certain that he viii
do so. Mr.. Reeves is said to be waiting
until he can see success reasonably GER
tain, and he probably appreciates that the
powerful political strength aud wide per-
sonal popularity of the present incum-
| bent are going to make him an exceeding
| ly hard man TO turn down.
| stiff fight against the denomination of
/ State Superintendent of Public Instruction
/ w. N. Sheats may be expected as a GER
| tainty. Whether it Will result in his de-
! feat remains to be seen. Rumors persist
in coming to the capital that those ee-
ments opposed to Mr. Sheats-and he has
opponents in plenty-are getting toge Their,
| and viii in short time announce as their
/ candidate against him a prominent educa-
| tor OF Peninsular Florida who has been
long and favorably known in connection
with the school system. Mr.. Sheats, how
| ever is q good fighter, and he cannot be
/ called beat until the vote is counted. The
/ chief ground of opposition to him is that
because of alleged dictatorial manner and
/ uncomprOmising insistence upon his own
views he has created such serious antag-
onisms and offended so many people of
/ strength and influence that his continu-
| ance al the head of the states school
system would prove injurious to a high
degree. If Mr.. Sheats opposition should
! concentrate itself and become very active.
the fight for this office Will probably be
che hardest and most bitter which the
people of Florida win witness this year.
Demand for "a New Man.
Commissioner of Agriculture L. B.
Wombwell is now serving his third term
| in his present Office. and there seems 10