The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-06-12
j. o. LAFONTISEE

Mr.. J. o. LaFontisee, Gen. Gfchrist's
Headquarters, City:
My Dear Mr.. LaFontisee-Return
ing TO my home somewhat later than
usual l find your favor of even date
lying on my desk In this note, after
quoting words from the Ocala Star,
you proceed in this fashion: "As you
know, l am in charge of General Gil
christ's headquarters in Jacksonville. e"
Now, my friend, must differ from You
as to this precise point, begging your
pardon. | did not know that you were
in any such place at all, or engaged
in any such business whatever. until
you were good enough to inform me
as TO the facts in this letter now lying
before me. And, as a sincere well
wisher of yours, | am really sorry to
learn that you are there, and doing
as you say, for, unless | am greatly
mistaken, by the time that the good
people of Florida have rendered their
decision on that very corruption fund
and the free distribution of whiskev
for the purpose of turning votes %
Gen. Gilchrist, both you and your
friend, the general, will be more in
need of headquarters than of headquar-
ters, and the waking up to this fact
will probably make both of you sadder
as we'll as wiser men.
But you continue your comments on
the situation, as it has been given you
Il do not venture TO say by whom
to see it, in such unparliamentary
words as these: This is only one of
many untruthful statements Mr.. Big
ham has made Now, Mr.. LaFonti-
see, those wicked fellows, the law
yers, have saying which runneth
somewhat in this fashion: when an
attorney lOseth his temper the client
loseth his case and his money"
And, besides, though you are
young man to be using such words
about man; or is it two men? old
enough to be your father, yet you are
neither so young nor so verdant as to
be ignorant of the fact that in that
world in which you live and transact
your business, words of this sort are
generally answered in a very differ
ent way from the one now EMPLOYED
/ am r.,
self in such manner as may become
my years, not to say my profession.
but it would not surprise me if among
the many friends of my honored broth
er. Mr.. Bigham, there may be some
younger men, and more of your tenn
per than l, who will be inclined 70
say: you are another" and may be
ready TO do other foolish things.
You ask me to oblige you by giving
information about that corruption
fund, but really, T. LaFontisee. YOU
are, when properly at yourself, a right
bright young man. And, therefore,
you know perfectly well by the use IF
such supplementary expressions
about my friend, and presumably
about me also, you have forfeited ell
claims to my courtesy. You have bro
ken the rules of the game, my boy.
and are thereby sort of outcast. But
intend to play the magnanimous this
because it suits me to
10 so.
And in that role | will candidly adj
nit to You that, as he was about
leaving home, 1 gave Mr.. Bigham a
paper on what had learned of that
bribery and corruption fund, of which !
you are so DESTROYS to learn some |
hing. Young people owe it to them |
selves to gain knowledge, you see, and |
'lder people are bound to help them. |
Now am sorry that in the haste |
II our parting l failed to take a COPY
u that paper. 1t was very bad in me |
o fail in this respect, no doubt: but
hen you see, I had no idea that Won