The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-12-11

lection on sea island cotton, tobacco,
oranges, etc., says:
But last and worst scene of all,
Mr. John s. Beard, member Of the
Florida state senate and late a candi-
date before the democratic primaries
of this state for United States sena-
tor, is proposing that people of the
south take no further part in
national politics except to elect
presidential electors, and put them
up, as the Lake City Index expresses
it, to the highest bidder, and sell
them to either party that will offer
the most for them.
'Mr. Beard says give these electoral
votes to the party that will guaran-
tee to the south most of the things
she wants-meaning, perhaps, in
view of the agitation now going on,
the largest measure of protection to
her products and the largest slice
from the official pie counter"
You evidently have not read the
article you so severely criticize, but
have derived your only knowledge of
it from the unfair and unfriendly con-
structiOns placed upon it by some of
the state press. l enclose you the
Pensacola Journal" containing the
article in full. AS a fair and candid
man, l know that you will see at once
that you have done me a great in
justice. Can you find anything in
that artiinn ITO justify the statement
that ''Mr s45eard says give these cleo
toral votes to the party that will
guarantee to the south most of the
things she wants-meaning perhaps,
in view of the agitation now going
on, the largest measure of protection
to her products and the largest slice
from the official pie counter"
Upon the contrary, do l not dis
tinctly say, "The south can enforce
those principles of democracy which
had their birth in the constitution by
holding the balance of power?
Has protection Of private industries
any place in the constitution? Is it
a principle of democracy?
Again, do l not distinctly say, The
south holding the balance of power,
can decide elections in favor of that
party or section which hews closest
to the constitution, and which rec
Ognizes each southern state as the
full and perfect equal of every other
state in the union and accords them
their full constitutional rights?'' Is
this a suggestion to put the electors
OF the south up ito the highest bid
der and sell them to either party that
will do the most for them?"
Again, do l not say that "the south
can in this way bring the govern
ment back to the constitution of the
fathers?" Is there any suggestion in
this that is an abandonment of the
principles of democracy, the consti-
tuition Of our country, or ito sell the
electors of the south to either party
that will give to the south the most
in the way of protection to her in,
dustries?"
After reading this article in it's en-
tirety, can you say that there is in it,
~ an a sip0Io eortoDoo ovoD uybap
taken from the context, a suggestion
that warrants the criticism in your
editorial? Is not a political party
| only a means to secure desired ends
Were not the administration of the
federal government in accord with
the federal constitution and the Sc
curing of equal justice to all and
special privileges to none" the great
ends which Jefferson had in view
when he organized the democratic
republican party? Are not the sug-
| gestions that l make, in the article
you Critise, simply to adopt method
| intended to secure those ends-the
administration of the government in
accord with the constitution of the
fathers and equal justice to all and
special privileges to none? Have we
not been for fifty years. and will we
not continue TO be, at the mercy of &
band Of northern political mercenar
les, especially Tammany, as long as
we adhere to the present plan?
am quite sure that, after reading