The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-06-01
LIGHT AND HIS LUNAclES

LIGHT AND HIS LONACiES
l.. 8. Light in Sundays Banner in
replying to what Bittinger said about
Lights efforts to mislead the people
in what he could and would do if he
went to Tallahassee denies that he.
Light, would make men sober or hon.
est by legislation. Well then If Mr..
Light says he never promised to do
anything OF the kind we must have
been mistaken. and a great many other
people for we not only heard him try
TO prove to the audiences he addressed
that he could DO 1t but would do it,
Now, Light either said that or at
tempted to and that will sustain our
contention about Light. and proved
the reverse, that because the per
capita expenses Of the state govern
inent have grown from 81 in 1880 to
81 in 1908 that all the legislatures
since then have unjustly taxed our
people for what they have received no
benefit. 1t Is either one or the other
and we don't care which horn Of the
dilemma Mr.. Light takes. Is not Mr.
Light crying out in the agony of his
great soul against this unjust tryan-
ny and perverting Of the peoples
rights, and Is 1t not for the correction
OF these wrongs that he demands to
go to the legislature? If this Is not
his purpose and this the correct in
ference to draw from Mr.. Lights
fusilade against everything and ev-
erybody, what other conclusion Is the
people to come to than the one we
have indicated? In connection with
increase Of taxation only one inference
can be drawn, that all the legislatures
during all these years mentioned have
teen recreant to the trust reposed by
the people of the state in them, for
as their servants they have failed to
render honest and conscientious SER
vice to the people Now we ask, is
Mr.. Light built different from other
men? Has he better, purer, higher
ambitions and ability to do better and
greater things than the average legis-
lator? If he has, let him show his
warrant. Mr.. Light can believe until
doomsday. A man would be worse
than an arrant fool and an idiot to-
appear as candidate and say he be-
lieved in dishonesty, graft and knav-
cry and was seeking votes to go to the
legislature to rob the people. We are
not questioning the sanity of the 46,
Voters at Reddick or the sol voters in
the county, who voted for Mr.. Light.
We said Light deluded them. Light
Iaralyzed them. We never said Light
and his deluded supporters were not
honest. Not once. We simply said
they have reasoned from false prom
~ 70 nnnnl,rSiny1c
Referring to over 1000 voters Of Ma
rion county, they were all Solomons,
all wise men. So this contention Of
Lights that because the voters of
Reddick or the SOL in Marion drew
different conclusions is left with him
MIR. Light says we are inconsistent.
In one column we say we have no
platform. in another we say we have.
Now once upon time Mr.. Light was
printer and by his own work as
sisted in running print shop, but in
the innocence of his soul he overlook
ed the headliner in the office. In this
case 1t was our foreman, Mr.. Benja-
min. who wrote the words "Bittinger's
Platform" Now that is all there was
in that. The article simply stated what
we believed in, what we would try and
be interested in and work for il we
were honored with the nomination.
That is ALL Mr.. Light knows in all
our canvass we never pretended we
had a platform. Mr.. Light contends
We have purloined several Of his
planks. We are not conversant Of the
facts any more than Mr.. Light is, for
In the main we both pretend to be-
lieve in certain things, essentials, as
they are called, and as they are COM
mon property we cannot see how our
friend Light imputes to us a desire TO
steal his thunder. That his thunder
is distinct and specific asset Of Mr..
Light and he is welcome to it, for if
his thunder" at Tallahassee brings
forth the hidden wealth that causes
Mr.. Light to champ so much froth,
then indeed will the millennium have
dawned and we will in the sweet bye
and bye hear no more about exorb:-
tsnt and unequal taxes.