The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-04-08
FUND
|SD|STRIBUTED
Whiskey Interests Endeavoring to
Control the Next Legislature
A REMARKABLE LETTER
Candidate L'Engle Publishes Letter Show
ing TaliaferrO and Whiskey Interests
and Race Track Gambling are Allies

The following appeared in the Miami
Metropolis of last Saturday. The con-
tents are setting the people wise. MIR.
Holt has acknowledged writing the let
ter in the presence of Albert William
son. editor of the Floridian.
"ClaudeL Engle, candidate for the U.
S. Senate reached Miami this morning
and will speak at the court house to.
night in the furtherance of his candida
cy. But Mr.. L'Engle brought other
/ things than his suit case with him. He
brought with him evidence that the
/ whiskey interests and the Taliaferro
forces are pooling their endeavors to
elect the next legislature. This evil
dence is in form of a letter written by
Pleasant A Holt, manager of the cam
paign that is being waged against the
adoption of the constitutional amend
ment for State wide prohibition. The
letter is written to William H. Price,
chairman of the State Democratic
Executive Committee 1t shows that
Holt and Cassidy are contributing
to the campaign funds of those candi-
dates whom they expect to control in
the legislature, in the event they are
elected. Holt inquiries if Cassdey has
come up with his contribution. The
Wilson referred to is candidate for the
Senate. 1t will be noticed that the
campaign contributions is to be used
for the payment of poll tax, when the
law expressly provides that the poll tax
shall not be paid for any man directly
or indirectly. Notice that Holt says he
is having to take men by the collar in
Jacksonville, and that it is hard matter
to make the man use the two dollar
bill given him to pay poll tax. Mr..
l. 'Engle is prepared to substantiate the
authenticity of the letter if any question
is raised He is known to be "getter"
when the show down comes. He has
been tried and found present with the
goods in every instance. This letter is
enough to cause all honest men to vote
against TaliaferrO and in favor of the
constitutional amendment. The letter
follows:
Jacksonville, March II, 1910.
Mr.. w. H. Price, Mariana, Fla
Dear Mr.. Price: beg to acknow-
ledge receipt of your favor of Feb, 2Sth.
have been out of the city for over a
week.
Has Cassidey paid his contribution
to Wilson,. What is Wilson doing?
Please let me know the situation in
regard to the State Senator.
You know | promised to help Wilson
to the extend of five hundred dollars
$500. 00). Part of this money is to
come from the race track. have paid
one hundred dollars; | still feel obi
gated to the extent of $4,000.
1t seems to me that the proper place
for some of the money to go is to pay
poll taxes. Won't some of it be spent
this way? Please let me know about it.
If any of this money is spent to pay
poll taxes, won't that also help w. +.
B. Smith? The best way to help a
friend is to get his friends qualified so
they can vote for him.
How many poll taxes have been paid
up to date in your county?
How many persons are there around
Mariannn and other precincts in the
county, who will not pay their own poll
taxes, who would vote against the
amendment and probably also for
Smith and Wilson, whom we can pay?
Can you pay these in bulk to the tax
collector? Please don t answer this Off
hand but find out from him My opinion
is he is going to track the law. II this
is so, how can you use this money to
pay poll taxes
1t is almost superhuman effort TO
collar man and take him up to the tax
collectors Office and see that he turns
the two dollar bill you give him over to
the tax collector. That is the way we
are having to do it here. Is it practical
in your county? Please talk with Lewis
and let me hear from you. Some solu.
ton must be found.
Also please look up the law and give
me your opinion whether or not taxes
can be paid in bulk by other persons
for other people after the primary to
qualify them IN the general election.
Nothing is more serious or important
In this campaign than this question, and
| beg you please to give the matter
careful consideration and inves tigation
and then let me hear from you.
With kindest regards, Yours cordially
p. A. Holt
KEY TO THE LETTER:
Phil Dell Cassidy is clerk of the cir
cult court of Duval county and man
ager of the JAS 2. raliaferrO campaign.
Pleasant A. Holt is manager of the
for the whiskey interests to
defeat the constitutional amendment.
w. n. Price is chairman of the State
Democratic Executive Committee, and
prominent in politics of West Florida.
! Notice that Holt is anxious to know
If Cassidy, Taliafe, rO's manager, has
~o;l hso shopo