The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-06-10

signed General Bullock's well-known
friendliness to the Wales claim and
MIR. Broward's profound silence on
the subject, Notwithstanding its vital
import to the people of the state, as
perhaps furnishing the key to what
we regarded as an odd feature of the
present campaign. did not call
General Bullock's well grounded rep
utation for honor and integrity as
soldier, a public officer and citizen
/ into question, nor did l undertake to
impugn the purity of his motives. In
! the exercise of my professional right
as an editor of a newspaper however
Obscure" | simply commented on
his attitude on the Wales claim as l
would upon the attitude of him or any
other public man upon any other
matter of grave public concern, and
from the coincidence of his uneX-
pected declaration for Mr.. BrOward
and Mr.. Broward's omnibus silence
upon the only public matter that
General Bullock has lately greatly in
! terested himself in, / drew the con-
clusion that an affinity of ideas proba-
bly, existed between them on this as
well as other public matters, l think
the surrounding circumstances, viz:
General Bullock's oft repeated belief
that Wales should be paid 1853, 900 and
Mr.. BrOward's studied indifference to
the matter while being exceedingly
verbose and even blatant on matters
that he is pleased to style as state
issues, justifies the conclusion reach
ed in the article printed in the Tele-
graph and which General Bullock
criticises with unwOnted venom and
asperity.
AS 1 stated in the outset 1 regret
exceedingly that General Bullock has
construed the discussion of a public
measure as a personal attack. More
than this l regret that anything 1
have said or written should have
caused the general to so far transcend
the high pinnacle which we are wont
to place him as to style those who
differ with him on the gubernatOrial
succession as corporation pimps,"
and such other choice epithets as his
intemperance of feeling and language
could stir up, for 1 understand that
many most estimable citizens of his
own home town and county are en-
thusiastic supporters of Hon. Robt
w Davis, and among them l have
heard mentioned the name of some
gentlemen (and l use the word in its
broadcast sense) who for years past
have followed the Bullock fortunes
for love, loyalty and devotion seldom
seen in the arena of politics and it
occurs to me as regrettable that any
word of his should be so harsh, even
in the heat of factional strife, as to
mar their feelings.
But i'll traducing everybody mot in
accord with u.s. the general has well
exemplified the tactics of the Stock
ton-Barrs-BrOward political combina-
ton, and that he offers no evidence
in support of his calumnious charges
is also well in line with the general /
plan of attack. He arraigns Judge /
Davis, not on any specific charge, /
but on the belief THAT Mr.. Davis is !
too subservient TO the railroad influ- !
ence IN this state, and that his rec |
ord is also proof of the fact" This !
is much the same style of argument !
that has been used throughout the |
campaign against all candidates OPP
posed to the Three Friends" It |
matters not that Judge Davis, from
every platform upon which he speaks,
states with positiveness that he has
no utilization whatever with any rail
way corporation whatsoever, and has
not had since his nomination for CON !
gress, and lays down the broad prop
osition that he will retire from the |
gubernatorial contest if Mr.. Broward !
will show by the same record that |
General Bullock refers TO that he has |
OOpp 6I11-inCr a Sorx-iop Of oiobt T-oorc /