The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-08-25

0P. ~. D. Cara writes Stroag
i.ss.,

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
wish to beg space in your paper
to answer few editorials and other
pieces appearing in the Ocala papers
from time to time. 1 do not know
whether you have charged for those
pieces or not. If you charge for this
article send me your bill and I will
settle it. understand that both the
Ocala papers have said that they will
not publish anything on the subject
except as paid matter. I do not find
fault with you for this although 1
would appreciate it much more if you
would give each side one free column
per week. have been reliably in
formed that out of eight or nine
counties that have gone dry in the
last few years that only the papers in
this county and Leon county have
charged for a certain amount of dis
cussion. Anyway, we shall get the
money to pay it.
Now, Mr.. Editor, you make a
criticism on Bro. Carpenter for COM
ing to Ocala while Tampa is full of
saloons. 1 wish to say that Bro.
Carpenter came to Ocala on an in
vitation from the temperance people.
The same as you sometimes go out of
the county on an invitation to adj
dress an audience on some particular
subject. when the same address is
needed equally as bad in Marion
county. He came here on the same
principle that we send missionaries
to foreign lands, long before we have
succeeded in exterminating evil from
our own country.
You make another hit at the tenn
perance cause because a paper in
Gainesville who advocated temper
ance is now dead. Yet you do not
mention the fact that the McCreary
paper advocated temperance and
gave its columns free to the cause
and is now prosperous.
1 see in your Tuesdays paper a
piece from V. J. Shipman in which
he says that the wet and dry ques-
ton is being agitated by a few
parties Now, Mr.. Shipman has a
right to his own opinion, the same as
have and do not tall out with him.
1t doesn't worry me in the least to
be called a fanatic and a crank,
especially when have such a large
number of the very best men and
citizens In the county with me and I
believe two thirds of the women, and
if Mr.. Shipman don't believe that we
have a majority of the voters in the
county on our side, let him assist US
in getting the election and if it fails
to carry for the dry side we will pay
for the election. Mr.. Shipman says
that we are trying to coerce the peo-
pie to subscribe funds to create an
| agitation to hold an election. This
statement is totally untrue. We have
| tried to coerce no one, but we do ask
those believing in the cause to give,
but to give freely and voluntarily and
1 wish 10 say that the people are Civ
ing literally. He says that we are
| agitating an election to determine
whether we are 20 sell liquor legally
or Illegally; whether we shall circu-
late the money in Ocala or SEND it to
Jacksonville or Tampa. In regard to
his first mistatement, we are advo-
eating the question for the purpose
of preventing its sale either legally
or illegally. 1 we'll know that it is
impossible to absolutely stop all sale
of whiskey. but 1 further well know
that if we can stop the barrooms, we
can reduce the consumption of it in
this county three fourths. You have
whiskey being sold in the county
Illegally today yet you make no fuss
about it, but should the county go
dry you would point to these same
places and say Il told you So" We
can not stop murder by passing laws