The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-02-21
AEssRs. STOCKTON AND FLAG
LER AND THE TIMES-UNIoN


Mr.. Stockton and the Times-Union at
the time the Times-Union was owned
BY the Stockton brothers.
The Sun quotes Mr.. John n. c..
. Stockton, now a candidate for govern
or, as saying that as long as the
Times-Union was run by the Stock
ton brothers it was run as a fearless
democratic peoples paper, but it was
EnaIly crushed TO the wall by the
Flagler interests.
The Punta Gorda Herald reprints a
letter written by Mr.. John \. c.
Stockton to Mr.. Flagler under date of
June Il, 1892, in which the following
sentence occurs:
I'VE have already secured a large
portion of the outstanding stock and
hope soon to complete the financial
agreement entered into with you last
March, and trust in the future that
you will have no cause to complain
Of our management"
In entering into this financial
agreement with Mr.. Flagler our own
understanding is that the Messrs.
Stockton went TO Mr.. Flagler with a
very pretty story, telling him of the
kind of daily paper they proposed to
establish-that its mission would be
% promote in every possible way the
states material development, and that
it would work hand-in-hand with Mr.,
Flagler in that direction; that with
proper management and ample finan-
cial backing they could make il cover
the entire territory Of Florida, and be-
sides being valuable auxiliary in the
states development it would prove a
paying investment as well.
Mr.. Flagler gave a kindly ear to the
story and the interview ended by his
advancing a considerable sum of
money for the establishment of this
greater newspaper, and was secured
in the payment Of same by lot of
first mortgage 6 per cent bonds, in
terest payable semi-annually.
The money thus advanced was in
vested in typesetting machines. fast
eT presses, etc, and there came a time
when more money was needed. and an
other interview was held with Mr..
Flagler, and more money was advanc-
ed and more mortgaged bonds were
issued.
Our information is that this went
on for a long time. and each interview
meant more money.
In the meanwhile the paper became
very hostile 70 NJ Flagler and his
interests and another daily newspaper
was established IN Jacksonville.
which opposed he Times-Unton and
the policies il advocated.
The promoters Of This second daily
newspaper went TO Mr.. F,agle- also
and gave him a spiel" Of how they
were friendly 10 his interests and that
he ought 10 do as much for his friends
as he had done for his enemies. so
the interview ended in IIr Flagle-
putting up more money. and getting
IN return more newspaper first mort
gage bonds.
So Mr.. Flagler was Systematically
''milked" by both factions.
The COW is sometimes described by
the poets as the gentle. mild-eyed
Juno and as dOcile and gentle a.
they are, the most patient ones among
them will sometimes kick.
So in this case. Mr.. Flagler-pa-
tient, philanthropic. perfectly willing
To do his full Share-got tired paying
for the music for two hostile factions
and in the course Of time called halt.
He said that the two newspapers
must. like the democratic party, get
together" or pay him the mortgage
bonds, which. both principal and in
terest. were long since past due.
There was no other alternative. and
the two newspapers were consolidated.
Mr.. Wilson became the editor-in-
chief and Mr.. T. T. Stockton the bus
uitSS uldudSeI.
Some time before has death the
latter gentleman told us that it was
the most pleasant position he had
ever held; that at no time was he ever
interfered with and was given the
widest latitude, and the letters he re-
ceived from Mr.. Flagler were always
IN compliment and commentator.
That's about the story That was
the way in which the Stockton broth
ers were forced to the wall.
Mr.. Flagler advanced them large
sums of money. and in return for
which he was turned over a newspa-
per property. which Mr.. John n. c..
Stockton acknowledges, in his inter
view in the Sun. was a losing financial
proposition from start to finish.