The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1907-04-05
special to the Ocala Banner

; Tallahassee, Fla, March 3I.-Mem-
berS OF both houses OF the state leg
islature are now arriving rapidly. and
by tomorrow afternoon praCtiCaIy all
Will be- al the capital. ready 10 par
tIcIpate IN the CduCusee Monday
night. al which officers of both houses
viii be nominated, thus making H..
formal election Of president Of the
senate and speaker oil the house of
representatives. On the formal organ
lzat.on OF these bodies. a Mere r-cu.
nlcailty. a. will also be The case with
The various attaches Of The .--i-.a.
ture.
~ he present writing ;he LEADING
candidates are Senator " Hunt Har.
Tia ul Nuuroe county. for president.
and Representative Eugene :. Math.
eV>, OF Starke. Bradford county. TOR
speaker OF The lower house
BY tive O'Clock tomorrow afternoon
IT will be- positive whether they Will
be chosen without opposition. or
whether the fight will he carried into
Monday night caucuscs.
In the house the candidates for the
speakership are more numerous. FL
gene ;. Mathews. of Starke. Is clear
Iy in the lead. but amongst others To
Ge considered or al any rate under
consideration are Representatives J.
Pope Reese. OF E,SCambia. assistant
district attorney in the United state,
court for the northern district OF
Florida
Judge sgd /, Carter. of Alachua.
former states attorney for the fifth
Judicial circuit Representative ". \
MacWiiliams. OF 81. Johns. recently
brought into the limeli.ht by his
proposition TO utilize half the state
conVicts in the building III three bro
posed trunk lines Of hard roads lead
ln- from Jacksonville 10 Pensacola.
Tampa and Miami. respectively. and
Representative Geo. G.. Mathews. of
Marion, formerly a member of tho
/ house and under the second CIeve.
/ land administration consul to the CITY
OF Para. Brazil. Judge Carter ha,
been suffering greatly from rhouma.
usm for the past two or three months
and it is highly probable that his phy-
steal condition will compel him tn
withdraw
. Mathews. Of Marion. will hardly
consent 10 the use Of his name but
VIII supper; bis namesake from Brad
ford
\ close contest for each position is
not altogether improbable. while ar
the same time it would not be surpris-
Ing for all opposition 10 the leading
candidates To melt away during the
morrow. and for everything TO be
harmonious when the caucuses as
SenIble- In view of the fact thai the
campaign for both places have been
conducted 50 far in very clean man
ner. practically free from personal
bitterness. indicates that there is no
desire anywhere for an unnecessary
contest. and that if Senator Harris
and Representative Mathews are
clearly the choice of their respective
bodies for the championship. that
the other candidates and their sup
pOrters will gracefully acquiesce. and
spare The legislature and the state th.
annoyance of a session in which would
be- hampered by remembrance of per
SonalitieS and III feelings
So far there have been 70 susses-
lions for president and speaker pro
tenn and until the more important
questions have been settled these
Offices viii occupy The Top shelf Near
~ all the attaches of the senate and
house are candidates for reelection
without opposition, though r j. Ap-
pleyard, secretary OF the senate is
opposed by G. \ Finley. of Lake
City, and Gen. Fred L. Robertson. as
sisrant adjUtant general OF the United
Confederate Veterans is opposed for
bill secretary by c. o. Andrews. who
last session was engrossing secre-
tary.
Three members Of the senate have
died the past year and another, Sen
ator NewIans. Of Suwannee. is at the
point OF death. Levy county sends in
the place OF the late Senator Carter
Hon. !. r. Willis. one Of the secretaries
Of the preceding senate. and Lafayette
and Taylor counties yesterday chose
Hon. E. L. COttrell to succeed Sen
arOr Carter. in both cases special cleo
tons have been necessary. One-eighth
OF the total membership OF the senate
have thus been stricken by the hand
of illness or death.
The present legislature consists OF
l01 members. one more than the reg.
uldr number. This IS because of the
creation Of 81. LuCie county by the
legislature, the constitution providing
that each, new county shall be entitl- (
ed 10 one member until a general re-
appOrtiOnment, which il requires
should take place every tenth year. 4