The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-06-12
PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN

that has ever run for political Office.
in Florida, and many of his friends
share his opinion.
In taking a survey of the field and
carefully going over the ground, we
find that the harshest things said
about Bfr. Stockton are the follow
ing:
That he is rash and impetuous.
That he carries a chip on his shout
der and seems always anxious for a
scrap.
In the language of a friend of ours
in this city, he appears to be a little
too ''savigrous."
The above are about the sum and
substance of the charges against
Mr.. Stockton personally.
1t is also charged by his opponents
that he on one occasion bolted the
democratic nomination in his county,
and was elected to the legislature on
an Independent ticket.
That is the charge against him po-
litically:
1t is also charged that his record
as a prohibitionist dates only to the
time that he announced his candidacy
for the Office of governor.
Charges have also been made that
while dominating and controlling the
politics of the city of jacksonville he
has been the subject of criticism be-
cause of the report of a committee of
experts which found that he has been
somewhat carless with the city's
funds. to-wit: Using certain funds for
contract work before the contracts
were finished and before the work
was to have been paid for.
These are about the sum and sub
stance Of the charges made against
Mr. Stockton.
They are not so bad, with the ax-
ception of the last one. and those
making that charge refer to the re-
port of the investigating committee
for it's confirmation.
Mr.. Stockton and his friends say
that an impartial investigation of the
records of Jacksonville show that his
hands are clean now and have always
been, and that he has never received
dollar from the city treasury that
he has not earned. That he has con
tributed large sums of money out nf
his private funds for the city's up
building and has given to il a large
part of his time, for which he never
received nor expected to receive d
dollar
General Gilchrist is alSo labOring
under the impression that he is \
badly treated man. and his friends
share this opinion.
1t is charged by his opponents that
he is being dominated and controlled
by the liquor interests. That the IL
quor dealers have sent out the sum
of S36O,O0O into this state as a cor
ruption fund with which to corrupt
the voters of this state in the inter.
ests of General Gilchrist, and II
elected he will be the liquor dealers
governor, which will be an everlast
ing scandal to the states good name
Ii is also claimed by General Gil
christ's opponents that he is under
mortgage to the railroad companies
and if elected will be under obliga
tiOnS TO these corporations.
These are the charges against Gen
eral Gilchrist, and on the strength o.
the same several ministers of Jack
, sonville have formed themselves int;
, an alliance and have sent one of theil
ambassadors forth to preach agains
: the election of General Gilchrist, a.
to elect him would be tantamOunt t;
turning the state over to the MammOI
of Unrighteousness.
These are the charges against Gen
eral Gilchrist.
Mr.. ]. o. LaFontisee, the manage
of General Gilchrist's campaign, ha
taken it upon himself to run down
these rumors and he finds that tn,
scandal about the S360,O0O sent int,
Florida by the liquor dealers has ii
foundation merely in the casual state
ment made by a Mr.. -. that h
heard someone else say that such
sum had been sent into the state L
be used in securing General Gilchrist'
election.
In the matter of liquor being sen
TO the voters, this scandal has ais
been run down, and 1t turns out tina
it was sent to a candidate for a couT
j. ty office in Baker. and that Genera
Gilchrist was not a party to tn
transaction in anv Way.