The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-05-29
then be elevated TO Office by reason
of our ballot? Very respectfully,
B. P. BILLINGSLEY.
THE BIG DEMOCRATIC RALLY
AND BARBECUE AT MIcANoPY

mary. to use the slang OF the street,
was pulled off, at Micanopy Wednes-
day. The good people of MicanOpy
did not miss their calculations. II
was a big rally and a big barbecue.
The crowd was estimated anywhere
from one thousand to fifteen hundred.
Among the number were a great
many women and children, and to the
former was largely due the success of
the magnificent dinner, which was
enough to have fed twice the number,
and to spare. 1t did rot fall short
either in quality or abundance Its
praise was on the lips of all.
Notwithstanding the political lines
are being drawn more taut and the
candidates are becoming more aggres-
sive and personal, these feelings are
apparently not communicated TO the
crowd, among whom good cheer pre-
vailed and neighbOr spoke pleasantly
to neighbor and everything passed off
as pleasantly and cheerily as a mar
riage bell.
1t was stated by his opponents that
Mr. Gilchrist had been so completely
done UP and discounted on the stump
by his adversary that he was in hid
ing and would not make his appear
ance in the second primary, but the
first face to be seen was that of the
genial gentleman from DeSOtO," but
his adversary came up missing" He
was, however, very enthusiastically
represented by DR.. Montgomery of
MicanOpy.
General Gilchrist spoke for one
hour, and along the lines that he has
spoken in other places. He said that
his political and private life had all
been spent on the side of temperance.
That he had never in all his life sign
ed a whiskey petition nor voted on
the wet side. On the contrary, he had
been active on the other side OF the
question. and in the present contest
the governor, even if he were dispOs-
ed to do so could not veto a bill pro
viding for submitting to the people a
constitutional amendment prohibiting
the sale and manufacture OF liquors in
/ this state. All the governor could do
would be TO recommend the passage
/ OF such an amendment He said that
! in the pamphlet that he has issued &c
/ the people or Florida, on page 10 Mr..
/ Stockton says that all the Iegis-
IIation necessary on this subject had
already been adopted outside the pro
posed amendment.
DR. Montgomery, in his reply, said
that the liquor dealers association
was behind Mr.. Gilchrist in his race
for governor, and had sent three hun
dred and sixty thousand dollars to De
spent in Mr.. Gilchrist's election; that
these forces were behind Mr.. Gilchrist
and were endeavoring to dominate the
politics OF Florida, and would do so
unless the good men and women
would band together and prevent 1t
He said that this element knew where
John y. c. Stockton stood, and were
Ialmost TO a man against him.
DR.. Montgomery spoke for more
En- II l. +f,a-
speech was along this line. He show
ed where certain whiskey men had
shipped liquor into dry counties TO aid
in Mr.. GiIchrist's election.
Mr.. Cilchrist, in his reply, said thai
If what Or. Montgomery said were
true il was news TO him; that he was
running simply on his own merits and
almost without an organization He sal,
THAT outside of two or three counties
in the state there was no Gilchrist or
ganization, but if the large sums o
b money that DR.. Montgomery said wer,
flooding the state that there would b,
{ some sort of an organization, and h,
would have been appraised of it. H
said that he was making his owl
campaign and was footing his owl
bills.
Governor Broward and Mr.. Fletche
= were both present, and were to hole
d, the boards in the afternoon, and bot
had their adherents present in mum
bers.
We went up in Mr. RObertsOn's al
to, and as he wanted to send it bacl
for Governor Broward and a party o
: friends we were compelled to leav
3 without hearing the distinguished car
: ldidates for the senatorial race.
The drive to Micanopy was made i
a little less than two hours, an
: through as pretty and picturesque
] country as one can see outside tn
q mountain regions.
[ The farms and farm houses look a
y tractive and indicate that Florida
d making rand and substantial Drf