The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-11
HON. E. L. wARTmAnN's SPEECH.
in the Lesislature-Seeks
Reelection.

ITO the Democratic Voters of Marion
County:
Two years ago the people of Marion
county through the democratic party,
nominated and 'honored me by electing
me as one Of their representatives in
the legislature of Florida; and at the
solicitation OF many good friends from
all sections of our county, and after
duly considering the matter myself,
again come before you and ask a re-
newal of your confidence and trust in
me.
While | come as a candidate, speak
ing frankly in his own behalf, let it be
known that / make no appeal to you
except through your sense of discrim-
Iination between men, and their ability
to do the most good IN the position
they seek through your votes.
In the history of governments. or the
affairs of nation, il seldom, IL ever,
happens tLat one mans fate is of sucl,
trauscendent Importance 20 mis- coun-
try that his place cannot be filed by
Iothers equally as competent, f1ithful
good and true as he himself has been.
individuals come and go: they play
their part and vanish from the scenes
of their triumph or misfortunes. and
the grea; heart of the world throbs
on and the incoming tide of human
Interest moves toward its destiny, OBJ
Iiiteratins their naneless and forgotten
ldust.
There are few indeed who ara con-
lcerned in my fate as an individual.
hut it is your right and your duty TO
lccncern yourselves as TO my conduct
as your representative in the last leg
I!slature of Florida. This / expect and
Earnestly trust you will do. All / ask
Iof you. my friends. is that you con-
slider my record impartially
in mind that all men are fallible crea-
lures and liable to err-and see if
have swerved from the path which led
to the best interests of the people. or
whether ] deserve the condemnation
of an unfaithful public servant.
Much important legislation was en-
acted during the last session Of the
Florida legislature. Among one Of the
most important was house hill No.
361, more generally known as the
l'fBucllman" educational bil.
l will. as briefly as possible, give you
the history which led up to the intro
duction of this bill. and its final pas
sage.
II was my pleasure 10 be honored
with the craftsmanship Of the commit
tee which had under consideration this
most important measure; which com
mittee also had referred 10 them all
bills relating TO the state schools o:
higher learning. Thus situated, this
committee became thoroughly familiar
with all the facts and figures concern
ing these state schools, and the vari-
Gus appropriations asked for by the
counties in, which they were located.
desire to state that not single
representative who supported this bill
was willing TO in anywise impair or
destroy the public school system.
Under the constitution of the state.
the legislature was required to estab-
ilish two seminaries Of higher learn
ling, and by the establishment of these
schools the national government con
'ributed q certain fund toward their
support. Then came the necessity OF
lesta blishing an institute for the deaf
dumb and blind. Others were estab-
ished through political favors until
there we're nine of these schools of
higher learning called universities.
iseminaries, Institutes, academies and
colleges, as follows: University. at
Lake City: Florida State College, at
Tallahassee; Normal Institute. al De-
Funiac; ST Petersburg Normal at St.
Petersburg; South Florida Military
at Barlow: Tallahassee Normal Agri-
lcultural Institute, at Kissimmee. and
the Deaf. Dumb and Blind Institute, at
ST. Augustine. Now, had these insti-
tutions. or schools. ACCOMPLISHED what
the legislature that established them
considered they would accomplish. I
am free to say there would have been
no necessity for the legislature of 1905
ito abolish them.
These schools-except the Deaf.
dumb and Blind InStltute-became
local 10 4 very large degree. Each
representative and senator elected
from the county and district in which
these schools were located. promised
their constituency the largest appro-
Ipriations possible for their schools. To
illustrate this, take the house journal
lof 1905. page 4, house bill No. =. INTRO
Iduced by Mr.. Tillman. of Alachua
county, asking for an appropriation
of $4,000 for the East Florida Semi
nary located at Gainesville.
The appropriations for these schools
had grown from $4,000 set aside for
their maintenance in 1894, TO si35,o10
lin 1903. and had asked from the leg
lislature of 1906 the enormous sum of
$703,500 Where were we drifting?
MANY Of us thought into bankruptcy
absolutely and a depleted treasury
with no prospect of lettering the sit
luation save through higher levy of
taxes. We of the counties not having