The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-06-01

successfully as is generally supposed.
other well known political methods
were resorted to, to defeat him, and
yet the people went right along and
voted him in. There have been various
explanations given for this remarka
BILE outcome of the campaign, but
am here TO tell you tonight a secret;
one that has never before been pub
licly told, and that is, how it happened.
1t became noised abroad that Mr..
Broward stood for temperance; that
he had defied the saloon element to
do their most and told them that he
was the enemy of their trade and If
elected would surely do all in his
power to put them out of business.
Perhaps you have heard of the w. G..
T. u? It was at w. c. T.U. con-
cention at Lake City chat 1 first
learned Mr.. Broward's position on
temperance, and the other members of
the w. c. T. u. heard 1T and they
went home to all parts OF the state
man they were looking for. To be sure,
the women can't vote, but that don't
hinder them talking and praying. Don't
misunderstood me. There was no effort
made by Mr.. Broward or his campaign
managers TO influence us. in truth, we
were perhaps not thought Of at all, as
we had no vote, but that little silent
influence that went through out the
state, in my opinion, made Mr.. Brow
ard governor, all the same.
By the same token gentlemen who
have since asked Office a. the hands
of the people, owe their dsfeat largely
to the word that goes ont from the
w. c. T. u, HE is our enemy. and
the enemy of our homes. He helped
the saloon element when we held our
wet and dry election" and straight
way those women pass the news about
They talk it to their sons, husbands
and fathers, and the result at the polls
tells the sequel.
What has this to do with the press
and temperance? Simply this, that
am trying to impress on the minds
of my fellow editors that temperance
is fashionable in Florida among the
people, a fact that we of the press
have been slow to learn.
Bringing the subject down to a lit
tie personal experience in this line
wish to tell how it is down in De-
Soto county. Perhaps you do not all
know that DeSoto is one of the TWEEN
ty-eight dry counties of Florida But
in spite of that fact the temperance
conditions need to be bettered. We
want Lee county, on the south of us
and Hillisboro, on the west, TO be dry
too. for it's too easy for our topers
to get their jugs from those counties
and we are powerless.
The Office of representative in our
county called forth five candidates, and
although only one was an avowed pro-
hibitionist. his declaration to that ef-
feet and the demands of the newspa-
pers in the county seat brought tenn
perance platforms and declarations
from every candidate. The one who
drinks the hardest~protests the loudest
that he is for temperance. I have been
told several times in the campaign
by prominent citizens that they posi-
lively would not vote for whiskey
man for a member of the legislature;
that he is too unsafe and dangerous in
our legislative halls BY the way, two
of the gentlemen protesting in such
language are men, whose breath while
they talked to me, showed that they
were not prohibitionists personally
and this sentiment is growing. We
cannot afford to put into Office men
who will wink at the traffic that de-
stroys both soul and body
In view of the facts as 1 have sci
them forth, is it not time that the
state press of Florida get alive to the
situation, climb into the band wagon
where they belong, in the lead. and
help to aid the cause of temperance
1t is not necessary for the peoples
sake that the press do this, for, as j
have shown you, the people are accept
ing no leadership except it be in their
opinion a righteous one. But for the
editors sake. it would be good policy
to be known boldly as on the right
side. The people of Florida want the
whole state dry, and. please God, they
will have it so in the not far distant
| future
The people are for temperance, but
where shall we find the state press
Like the boys father who was by pro-
fession Christian but didn't work al
it much, 50 our editors are for tenn
perance, but to save your soul you
couldn't tell it by a careful survey Of
their respective papers. The most char
itably inclined person would think
them on the fence with a leaning Il
the wet side judging by the edver-
tisements in their columns.
Friends if you are in favor Of tenn
perancer on the fence is a bad place
I have yet to learn of a single in
stance whereby the benefit of doub
you get placed where you know yol
belong. You are put with the othe
crowd, but as one ashamed to own it
E,0,. va, r., J,asi+ota ic van fo Iora any,.