The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-06-03
THE milk IN THE
C0COANUT" LETTER.
General Bullock Makes Vigorous Re-
ply-Interesting Reading.

in your paper to make some reply to
an article which originally appeared
in the Starke; Telegraph, kwas copied
in the Metropolis of June 1st, and is
now being circulated as a campaign
document by r. w. Davis.
l feel that you, whether your pre-
ference in this contest may be, will
willingly grant to an old citizen, at
tackled as have been, in the manner
simply because l dared to express my
choice of candidates, and.tOlgive my
reason, the opportunity to be heard.
I pass over the contemplate effort
upon the part of this obscure editor
to cast slur upon Mr.. Broward by
the remark that he, Broward, has no
higher claim to be governor than that
he was once sheriff of Duval county,
by simply stating that Grover Cleve-
| land went from the sheriff s office to
the governors chair, in the state of
New York.
Moreover, the people of Duval
county at the next election after he
was removed from office, triumphant
Iy re-elected,Mr. Broward as sheriff,
thus showing their vindicatiOn of
him. Mr.. Broward in that election
received an overwhelming vote, and
afterwards Governor Mitchell realiz-
ing that he had wronged an honest
man, expressed his regret that he had
exercised his power in thus remOv-
ing him.
These facts only show the extreme
desperation of the corporation Oppo-
sition to Mr.. Broward-a desperation
willing to distort and suppress facts
and to knowingly publish and circu-
late false statements on the eve of
election in the hope of misleading
the voters.
Regarding the claim of S. l.
WALES againt the state, have stated
and here repeat that its reputation
bv the act of the lower house of the
last legislature was wrong.
In this opinion l enjoy the excel
lent company of such men as w. D.
Bloxham, Geo. P. Raney, William A.
Blount and the majority of the state
senate, after an exhaustive investi-
CATION and discussion on this subject.
l have never spoken with Mr.. Brow
ard a single word. The insinuatiOn
of this cheap editor of a hireling
newspaper that my support of Mr..
Broward in this contest is dictated or
controlled by anything connected
with the Walls claim, coming as it
does, in my old age, after nearly six
" years spent among the people of
Florida, and put forward as it is under
the sanction of r. w. Davis, is the
most marvellous falsehOOd which has
characterized the campaign of by
pOcrisy and mendacity carried on by
the corporation pimps of this state.
| denOunce it as an insult to me,
feel that in publishing and circulat-
ing such an insinuation, Mr.. r. w.
Davis and his managers have aban-
dOned all decency, thrown away their
self-respect, and proclaimed to the
public that an old citizen, who has
tried to do his duty to his fellow men,
dare not oppose the corporate candi-
dates in this contest, without incurr-
ing the abuse and the calumny of
their hlred agents.
Has the time come, indeed, when
a citizen, at the peril of having his
good name attacked by some agent
of this corporation party, shall speak
his sentiments, give his views and
express his preference for candidates
before the people?
1t is only necessary to say, further,
in regard TO the statements of the ar
ticle referred to, that w. d. Blox-
ham, Charles Dougherty, R. II. NJ.
Davidson and Samuel PascO, as well
as myself, all testified before the leg
islative committee in 1908, and all
gave evidence of the high value of
the service rendered by S. l. Wales
in the preparation and prosecution of
of the states claim against the gen.