The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-30
THE sQUABBLEIN
REPUBLICAN
CIRCLES
Some of the Amusing Per
forrnances of State and
County Commit
tees.

NE lOllOWluS commentary Ou Ic-
publican doings in Florida, as they
relate to the situation in Escambia
county, is handed The Journal by one
who signs himself "a Participant"
with request for publication
To a rank outsider, the squabble
now on in Florida republican circles
is amuSing-Or rather, it would be if
some features of it were not frought
with such serious consequences to the
innocent public.
/ Of course refer to the recent en-
dorsement by the little cotorie of East
Florida politicians-controlled, of
course, by the Honorable Joseph E.
Lee, of Jacksonville, Collector of In
ternal Revenue, for the state of Flor
da-of individuals to hold the feder-
al offices in Pensacola.
Some funny stories are told about
this meeting Git was of course held
surreptitiously insofar as the repub-
licans of West Florida were concerned
except as to Captain Northup and Mr..
McGourin) and l haven't the heart to
lay them bare in cold type, except in
sort of general way.
1t seems as though that Messrs.
Chubb, of Gainesville, chairman of
the state committee; Crooms, of Apa-
lachicola, saw mill owner and Incl
dentally politician; and Charles Par
general of Florida, and incidentally
son-in-law of Mr.. Crooms, happened
to have met in Jacksonville recently,
and of course they naturally drifted
into the office of Collector of Inter
nal Revenue, Honorable Joseph E..
Lee, Tin reality the power controlling
Florida Republicans
And when they had duly congregat.
ed, and had become personally &C
quainted with one another, the sub
ject of federal patronage in West
Florida "a section separated from
their then present location by a mere
365 miles, was preached (by the host
of the bunch of courseC and without
parley or further discussion, it was
unanimously resolved that meeting
of the leaders" of the party should
be held at Tallahassee, upon a date
which will forever be unmentioned
and that then and there William H.
Northup should be endorsed for the
postmastership of Pensacola, and
Thomas McGourin should be ''tOuted"
to President Roosevelt as the only
available and deserving individual for
the marshalship Of the Northern Dis
trict Of Florida.
The meeting was held in Tallahas-
see, as aforesaid, upon a date which
shall forever remain unmentiOned,
and the programme as outlined at
the Jacksonville meeting referred to
above, was carried out, not however,
without dissention, for there were
present at this Tallahassee meeting
some West Florida Republicans Ia
minority of course, but it was re-
spectacle, if not altogether a respect
full one).
This minority returned to Pensaco-
la and it was determined to hold a
meeting of the Escambia Republican
executive committee. This meeting
was held on last Thursday afternoon.
Captain Northup, whom the meeting
of the leaders" of the party in East
Florida had endorsed at Tallahassee,
is a member of the county commit
tee, and was present at this meeting
and voted on several matters OF minor
importance which were disposed of
by the committee. A resolution was
introduced by member of the COM
mittee denouncing the action of the
meeting of the aforesaid leaders" at
Tallahassee in indorsing Captain
Northup for re-appointment as post
master at Pensacola, and was unan-
imously adopted Captain Northup.
of course, voting with majority OF
the local commdttee).
But Captain Northup did not real
ize what he had done until the pTesid-
ing officer declared that the motion
of deuunciation had been UNANI-
MOUSLY adopted He then moved
reconsideration Of the motion, which
was adopted.
The original motion was again
ufdut, hDu ny lhC DiOGhbihS OhASSA UO
clared open for discussion
Mark White made the point that
Captain Northup had appointed a
Democrat as assistant postmaster
under him. To this charge. Captain
Northup retorted: well, Mark, you
are responsible for that appointment
as you know | rendered you the as
sistant postmastership, and you de.
cNned it." To, this Mark replied:
Eyes, I know you did, but l had too
much sense to accept such a position
In this community"
And the meeting adjourned, and
three of the banks In Pensacola, and
several leading business houses here
| endorsed the action of the meeting OF
the East Florida politicians and the
honorable Joseph E. Lee, collector OF
internal revenue for Florida, in favor
of Captain Northup for postmaster OF
| Pensacola