The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-01-05
THAT LAMAR
WILLIAMS AFFAIR.


hecOru.
Our Billy hit the floor with dull dead
thud when John Sharpe Williams sot
down on him. Well, Billy needed lit
tie trouncing; he has been trying to live
on the reputation of L. @. c. long
enough. Milton Index.
Congressman Lamar will have oppo-
sition in his district, and plenty Of it,
but he will find more on account of his
treatment of Taylor than on account of
the John Sharpe Williams episode. 1t
will always be found that a magnani-
nous spirit is a winning card. -Ocala
Banner.
The general opinion of the State press
seems to be that Mr.. Lamar made Sc
rious mistake when he made an attack
on John Sharpe Williams, the only re-
suit of which was to give the Republican
members little amusement to the det-
riment Of the Democratic party. We
are very sorry to note this, and yet
would be glad to see Mr.. Lamar redeem
himself. Bristol Bee.
Congressman w. B. Lamar, of the
Third Florida district, had a tilt with
John Sharpe Williams on the floor of
the House a few days ago. Mr.. Will
liams, as the leader of the Democratic
minority, had Mr.. Lamar left off the
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce. This riled the Florida Con-
gresham, and he brought the matter
up in the House for an airing. Mr.. Will
liams gave as his reason for leaving
Mr.. Lamar off the committee that Mr.
Lamar, during the last session of Con-
gress, did not stand by the committee
in its report on the Townsend bill for
the extension Of the powers of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, but
voted for the Hearst bill embracing
that subject. He desired harmony
among the Democratic members of the
committee, and for that reason left Mr..
Lamar off the committee. Laying aside
the consideration of friendliness that
one naturally feels toward the Repre-
sentatives from ones own State, it must
be admitted, we think, that Mr.. Will
liams was more than half right, if har-
monious committee action is necessary
to insure the passage of railroad rate
legislation. This is a question that the
whole country is interested in, and in
the minds of people who are suffering
from rate discrimination the difference
between any two bills that offer relief
is as between tweRdle-dum and tweedle- !
dee. They want relief. They want
the passage of the best bill that can be |
agreed upon, and they don't care a rap
who is the author Of it. If the Town
send bill is the one upon which an
agreement can be reached and it's pass
age secured, then it is the right bill for |
the Democrats, both in committee and |
in the House, to support, and if Mr..
Lamar's preference for the Hearst bill
was so strong that he could not yield to
a compromise, then he should, we think,
in view of the great Importance of the
legislation, have been willing to yield
the committee assignment.
The question of rate regulation is one
upon which the country is in no humor
for petty chickering's, and the Demo-
cratic members of Congress should make
sure that they do not stand in the way
of the contamination that is devoutly
hoped for. The people understand that
the bill that finally runs the gauntlet of
diverse opinion must bear the earmarks
Of compromise, and they do not expect
the first bill passed on the subject 10 be
perfect but they do expect this Con-
gress to drive the entering wedge to
lay the foundation upon which the pere
feet statute may be builded. Stark
Telegraph,
AN APPEAL TO THE SPIRIT OF THE DE-
CEASED UNCLE.
o crumbling dust of Mis- sissippi's
mighty cOmmOner Oh most learned,
most profound Lucius Cuintus Cincin
natus- thou the modern Demosthenes,
thou the modern Moses, thou, Oh Luz
cius Quintus Cincinnatus, whose elo-
quence, whose genius, whose wisdom,
have immortslized the name, Lamar,
canst thou not return to life and give
counsel to thy nephew in this his hour
of deep distress?
Thy nephew needs thy counsel now if
ever nephew did.
Canst thou not awake from thy deep
Oh Lucius Quintus Cincin-
natus, and with thy matchless eloquence
defend thy nephew against the shafts
Of envious (?) critics whom tbs averred
have branded him incapacitated for
committee membership?
Thy nephew needs thy defense, Oh
We modern Cicero, if nephew ever did.
Canst thy immortal spirit sleep on,
and on, and on, Oh Lucius Quintus
thou the brilliant advo-
cate; thou the learned jurist; thou the
profound, the dignihed stat man,
whose life was lived for thy country
and thy State thou, Oh proud Missis-
sippian, whose great name was thy
passport everywhere, whose giant in
tellect was thy only weapon in any To-