Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-01-11

NBHy hSHbCu uEUapo Win OCuApVA -
r. Kirk of fernando, which finally be
came 30 hot that II ended In a physi.
tcal encounter between the two gentle
men upon the floor Of the caucus
AS soon as the fight started, It ap.
peared to US as II all Of the men pres
ent were engaged in It. We have Of.
ten since wondered AZ the fact that
no one was seriously injured.
The next night. after long hours
Of heated debate, the resolution ex-
GLIDING all persons from the caucus
except members, attaches and news
paper correspondents. was passed, and
the next night the caucus, by vote,
was adjourned sine die. Then came
the skipping out OF fifteen Senators
the babes in the woodland finally
the election Of Senator Call by count.
ing a quorum, President Browne say.
ing: Record Mr. Nelson Of Sumter as
present and not voting
1.-THE anti-Call forces, during all OF
this long, weary, bitter fight, had no
one candidate. They we're willing, at
any stage Of the contest, to take any
fair-mjnded, competent man. This
writer knows that the entire anti.Call
vote was offered to Frank CLARK. He
knows that seven or eight OF the sup
porters Of Cali assured Clark that
II he would accept the offer Of the
Senator's opponents, they would like
wise give him their support, thus In.
suring his election as a Senator for
the full term OF six years. Mr.. GOOde,
q representative from st. Johns coun.
ty, and an ardent supporter Of Call,
begged Clark to allow the use OF his
name. Others did the same thing.
But the young legislator took the po-
Bition that his constituents were for
the old Senator they had not
considered him in that connection at
all--and put II aside. He said that
while, of course, he would like to be
Senator. yet he felt that he was there
to represent the wishes OF his people,
and not to crafty his own political
aspirations. and with that view OF the
case, he felt that he could not with
honor accept the Senatorship. The
writer was there; he was an anti
Call man; was close to and In the
confidence OF the leaders. and knows
that the facts herein stated are truel
What temptation! II Clark had &C.
copied, he would have been Senator
at the early age Of thirty-one years
and two months, and his would have
been an election by Legislature for
q full six.year term, and not by the
appointment OF partisan Governor
IN payment Of q political debt: There
can % found In the career of no man
any stronger proof Of perfect sincerity
and unialtering loyalty to duty than
is furnished by this occurrence In the
political career OF Hon. Frank CLARK.
the representative In Congress from
this district.
Can the fair young writer whose
political writings we have endeavored
to correct. point to a single states.
man In the BrowArd clans that ever
turned his back upon a high once and
stood by the wishes OF his constitu.
entS, as Frank Clark did in this fota.
BILE period In the history OF Florida
Not much, They are not made that
way, We do not claim that Mr..
Clark was the only one OF Mr., Calls
loyal hfty.two supporters who could
have had the Senatorship at the time.
lie could have had II. and could thus
have entered the Senate OF the United
States as the youngest man who ever
became q Senator, But he put II aside
at the command Of duty Q his people
a. he understood Il.
This high Once was likewise ten.
dercd TO Jeh Browne, Dalton Il. Yam.
cey. ben Calhoun, Dr. Gasklns, aud
perhaps one or two more. We were
commissioned TO trade with some of
them Hu, each stood like granite
against the temptation.
The RrowSrd clans Of today we're
unknown In politics n, that timc. and
our more recently appointed Senator
wa IN kncc.hrecchca Yancey. Cal.
hcuu. Browne Clark Gaskins and
others were making Florida history !
Aut writing some ot IT, brightest |
pages before these pNoplc who
are arc now arrOSatlug to them