The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-25
CONCERNING POLITICIANS.

N6Oh OllS 1IOIlOldDle SldIlSS hOlll w
Brown, candidate for Governor on a
platform which ensures comfort for
the widow and protection to orphan
ages" had good deal to say about
the subsidized press in Florida,
claiming there were l3 newspapers
in the state entitled to classification
under that head. Thirteen is GER
tainly an 'unlucky number. The
hoOdoo'cOniures by it and the candi-
date who "bumps" it is lost. But
perhaps Candidate Brown forgot to
count the Billville Noose-Litter.
In an editorial paragraph in the
last number of his Florida Index,
Editor n. j. Appleyard places Put
nam in the list of counties sure to
give majority for Frank Clark for
Congress. With no purpose of gain
saying Mr.. Appleyard's superior
facilities for arriving at a correct
prognQstication of the result of the
coming congressional primary in
this county, the News can at least
say that it has been startled by the
prediction. In all political contests,
victory is forecast through large sized
chunks of sentiment which finds
frequent favorable expression for the
candidate among the people. This
is the rule. But Mr.. Clark's case
may be the exception which is to
prove the rule. One thing is certain,
the Clark sentiment, IN sufficient
quantities to warrant its application
as precursor of victory, is wholly
Wanting in Putnam county. 1t ain'r
here at all; at least it's not visible to
the naked eye of those whose optics
are trained to the work of anti-elec-
ton discovery. Mr.. Clark may be
all that Editor Appleyard paints
him, but one thing is certain, his can
didacy has failed to cause flutter
ing of the political leaves in this
neck o the woods up to the present.
And now cometh Father (St. Clair
Abrahams saying: "My son Isaac st
Clair Abrahams shall not be sacri-
fled on the altar of the constitution
for he escapes the fire of that docu-
ment by three whole days. In other
words Isaac was too previous for |
your old constitution by Y hours and |
you can't touch him. Go in, my |
boy, and vim, alretty." Now what
Father st. Clair Abrams has said |
concerning his son Isaac, applies
with equal force in the case of ''his
whiskers,' Mr.. Senator Kirk, al
though the latter has but "a hours
start of the constitution.
1t had been stated that Alfred st.
Clair Abrams and Senator B. F.
Kirk were ineligible for the officers
of Attorney-Genera and Secretary
of State, respectively, under clause
of the constitution which reads:
mo Senator or member of the
House of Representative shall, dur
ing the time for which he was elect
ed, be appointed or elected to any
civil office under the constitution of
this State that has been created or
the emoluments whereof shall have
been increased during that time"
Speaking to this point, Father st.
Clair Abrams in the Metropolis of
last Monday evening, says:
"'On Saturday wired my son, Mr..
Alfred st. Clair-Abrams, not to with
draw from the canvass, as / was in
clined to the opinion that he was
eligible. | see that Mr.. Christie has
come to the same conclusions on the
same grounds. There can be no
doubt about it. Mr.. Alfred st. Clair
Abrams was elected to the Legisla-
ture on the 4th of November last,
and under the constitution his term
of office is for two years. AS con-
sequence, his term expires on the
evening of the 4th of November,
1904, three days before the election
of that year, which takes place on
the 7th
''In the case of Senator Kirk, he
was elected on the 9Th of November,
1900, to serve for four years, conse-
quently his term of office expires on
the evening of the 9Th of November,
while the election does not take
place until the following day and,
consequently, he also is eligible"
The point raised by Father st.
Clair Abrams is tech licaI but it ap-
pears to be good. His son and Sena-
tor Kirk escape by small margin
the real purpose of that clause in the
which seeks to prevent
members of the legislature from
profiting by their legislative enact
ments. Both these men are men,
bers of the present legislature, leg-
islature which passed law increas-
ing the salaries attached to the Off
ces which they now covet. They are
elegible under the letter of the law,
but not under its spirit. Will the
people place these men in office?
They may; but as the News reads the
0NeldSS No6SLi ne is liote COuceIHeu
in seeing the spirit of the constitu-
ton carried out than he is in follow
ing its letter.
Hon. r. ID. M'DOnald of DeLand
is another candidate for Congress
sional honors from this district. His
platform of principles is published
in this issue of the News. The plat.
form covers pretty nearly everything
that is democratic in an orthodox
eoeb;o, ood L. 80. - a.