The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-11-05

race, the losing man to withdraw
from the contest and.suppoTt the WIN
ner
Mr. Blount's reply is characterized
by good logic and political wisdom.
In the first place, he declares that, II
me majority Of the Democrats OF
FLORIDA have a Tigth TO decide that
they prefer a West Florida man for
the senate, they have equal right 10
select the particular West Florida
man they want to represent them
The election of United States sena-
tor IS not a West Florida but a state
affair, according to Mr.. Blounts rea-
SonIng, and a primary in West Florida
alone would be both SupeTfiuOus and
ill-advised
Mr. Blount argues that he desires
the expression OF the Democracy OF
all Florida on his candidacy and not
Lhat OF West Florida alone. In this
he Is eminently correct. If elected to
the senate, he will not be the repre-
sentative of the few counties cOmpOs-
ing West Florida. but of all the cOun-
ties and all the people of the state.
A proposition TO sidetrack a candidate
and put him out of the race at the
behest of the voters Of one section of
uhe state cannot be regarded as other
than unfair.
Again, Mr.. Biount argues, the pro
posed primary would defeat both
Judge Reeves and himself. In the
primary, II held, many voters IN West
Florida who do not intend supporting
either Mr.. Blount or Judge Reeves but
who are friends of other candidates,
would certainly have right to vote.
There would be no way of excluding
them. Therefore. it would not be diff
fcuh for the other candidates for the
office TO effect combination of their
friends IN the section holding the pri-
mary, TO throw the majority in the
primary to the candidate considered
the weaker of the two contestants. |
. Then" says Mr. BIount, having
eliminated the stronger candidate, |
they would easily vanquish the |
weaker Although he does not say |
so, the inference is plain that Mr..
Blount considers himself the afore |
said stronger candidate and that a |
primary such as is proposed by Judge |
Reeves would bring about a combina- |
ton to defeat him and eliminate him
from the race at the outset. The |
anomaly of the selection Of a candidate
for the senate by voters who do not
intend to vote for him at the regular 1
primary calls forth a spirited protest /
from the Pensacola attorney.
Another objection urged by Mr., 1
Blouut is that the proposed primary
would not be surrounded by any of |
the safeguards OF q regular election |
and fair expression of the wishes OF
the voters.
In conclusion. Mr. BIOunt SAYS the
effect of a mere technical numerical
majority in the preliminary primary
would be to outweigh the thousands |
Of voters in other sections of the state
who might desire the defeated person
to be a candidate.
All of which, The Tribune has no
hesitancy in declaring, constitute good
and sufficient reasons for the declina-
ton of the eminent Pensacola harris
ter TO enter the contest proposed by
his West Florida opponent
1t is evident from the general trend II
Of Mr.. Blount's reply that he consid-
9rs himself strong in all sections OF
the state and that he does not expect
10 be elected by the votes of West
Florida alone. In this idea, he is also
entitled to credit. Sectional consid
erations should not prevail in the
choice of a United States senator. The
mere fact that a man halls from Pen
sacOla or Jacksonville is no good Tea-
son why he should not receive the
support of Tampa or Key West, pro-
Vided he is considered a good man for
Lhe important Office. Mr. BIount, for
Instance, will have a strong support
in this section and he is very wise in
to subject himself to elimi-
nation from the race at the very be
ginning, thus deprivfng himself of the
support of his loyal friends in other
portions Of the state.
The Reeves proposition may be-
senatorial race will continue, each
man on his own merits, and may the
best man win, whether from Pensa-
cola IacIzsnn1-iIIa I'LL L-.a-.---- u