The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-04-24
WAS RRoWARD THE VICTIM OF
A PLOT?

The Central Union Times of Jack
sonville, the labor union organ of Flor
ida, edited by Robert L. Harper, him
self a soldier, a former member Of
the Leesburg Rifles, and later of the
Ocala Rifles, writes a long article in
his paper, headed, "Was Governor
Broward the Victim of a PlOt?"
Editor Harper writes as if he be-
lieves that the governor was, but gives
out no intimatiOn as to who was at
the bottom of it, but we are led to be
lieve that it must have been Andrew
Carnegie, Henry NJ. Flagler, George
Wilson, ]. R. PARROT, or some other
awfully bad man.
Pensacola was friendly to Broward
both newspapers, all the county
and municipal officers and the labor
unions, etc, so who was at the bottom
of the plot?
The Central Union Times says:
On last Sunday afternoon the peace
and quiet of the Sabbath was rudely
broken by the sOnOrOus tones of the
Big Six call from the mOnstrOus
whistle of the Jacksonville water
works. 1t was the signal for a gener-
al movement by citizens of every de-
nomination in the direction of the ar
mOry. A few minutes after the call
sounded the Central Union Times
man and several friends who were in
the immediate neighbOrhood were on
the spot and watched the preparation
of the troops with much interest.
| In that vast multitude of people
there was hardly a man who was not
outspoken in his criticism Of the ac-
ton. All of them seemed very well
posted upon the conditions in Pensa-
cola, and why not? Even the corpora
ton paper had come out that morning
with an account stating that the sit
uatiOn was we'll under control that no
violence was being resOrted to, and
that it was the opinion that troops
were not necessary.
But according to the plot, troops
must be had, so send them we did
And they went, leaving over the Sea
board about 7:15 p. m And with
them went the cheers of a few hyster
ical women, who feel that every kid
in a uniform is a hero, and the jeers
and denu1ciatiOns of almost every
male memoer of the vast thrOng.
Immediately, or as soon as they
could be gotten together, several mem
bers of the Central Trades and Labor
Council of this city, who were Joined
by members of other labor Organiza
tons, gathered at the Central Council
hall, and this committee sent a friend
to ask an interview with Governor
Broward, who it was learned was ir
town.
After innumerable waits, a confer
ence between the committee and the
governor was fixed for 9 p. m. The
committee was on hand promptly al
9 o'clock, and then was OccasiOneC
several delays, so it was nearly mid
night when his excellency finally ar
rived at his Office.
A long conference followed, bat L
was found impossible for the commit
tee to prevail upon the governor to re
call his orders. He expressed him
iself as heartily in sympathy with the
laboring people, and ready to do al
he could to serve them, and bitterly
denounced the tactics of the corpora
tons in their endeavor to crush ou
the laboring people of the country
and especially of Florida.
At a late hour in the morning the
conference ended, neither side, appar
emily, having gotten much satisfac
ton therefrOm. 1t was the genera
belief, however, that the governor real
lied the seriousness of the situation
and appreciated the fact that someone
had Numbered. The troops were
gone, though, and it was no use t.
cry over split milk. In the mean
time, he had not the courage to jumE
, into the breach and recall the troops
He was evidently in a most unenvia
bic position. No man on the commit
tee just then would have cared tt
change places with the governor.
The fact that the governor hearken
ed to the request and ordered out the
troops, and upon every hand was
heard scathing denunciatiOns Of the
action, and the opinion repeatedly ex
pressed that it put another spike II
DrouorJ'e oOHS,, MOULD load ono r.