Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1910-09-30

The big locs, option convention IN
Jacksonville on Thursday of last week
was flake" gathering.
Instead of a monster convention OF the
prominent men from all parts Of the
state, linen of exalted character and
splendid intellectual endowment ''-hun-
dleds of them-as represented by the
Times Union and the Metropolis, there
were not more than IS all told, who
were delegates taking part. By actual
count there were exactly 103 men pres
emf, many of whom were spectators,
and some of whom are for the amend
ment
The meeting was held in the lobby Of
the Aragon Hotel, and was open to the
public. A dozen men, some of whom
are. or have been, prominent, did all the
business. Tie work was all planned in
advance, and it didn't take but a little
more than an hour to complete the bust
ness in hand.
Hear the Times Union:
"rhe meeting was unquestionably the
largest, most successful and altogether
most notable gathering Of b political ma
ture ever held in the state"
OF course! That big convention that
nominated Geo. F. Drew for governor
was only a small precinct caucus in
comparison. The last state democratic
convention, the one that nominated
VIM. S. Jennings for governor, was an
other small affair.
The few men who did gather in Jack
sonvllle last Thursday did not cAuse any
noticeable increase from the usual noon
crowd in the lobby of the Aragon.
But the Times Union printed list of
the delegates. So did the Metropolis.
Not one-third of those whose names
were printed in the list Of delegates
were present.
The list, together with the pictures CT
the delegates and the short biographical
sketches of their careers, was all pre-
form advance by
Pleasant A. Holt, manager Of the local
option campaign which was organized
and is being paid for by the organized
whiskey interests OF the state.
That is the truth.
The Times Union made some mis-
takes in its list of delegates. Here is
one that was corrected in that paper last
Tuesday:
Editor Times Union: 1 notice in
your Thursday paper you have my name
as one of the delegates in favor Of local
option. will ask you to correct this
srror, as my name was just taken from
the register book at the Aragon Hotel,
and will ask you to state in your paper
that am a statewide prohibitionist,
Mud expect to DO what can to dry the
tate of Florida. Respectfully yours,
J. W, KIMBRoUGH."
Webster, Fla.
The News has nothing to say regard
ng the standing of these men. Several
Il them are well known in the state, but
he bulk Of them mentioned as being
prominent" are scarcely known out
ide their own precincts.
Some Of them honestly believe in To-
al option as the best manner Of dealing
nth the liquor evil.
Some Of them don't even believe that ,
quor is an evil.
Some don't care rap whether it is or
OF. They are willing to give it their ,
Import, provided they are paid literally .
Or doing it.
Some three or four of those named as ,
cling present are said to have been in ,
svor of drying" their home county.
But the great body Of them are for .
he licensed saloon at home and every ,
there else.
The strange thing about that alleged !
is that professedly reputable ,
like the Times Union and :
be Metropolis would lend, or sell, them
elves to Pleas Holt and his organlxa-
ion Of whiskey dealers to assist in mis-
sading the people Of Florida.
If these papers deny that they partici-
ated knowingly IN this fake" then
heir managers should be with their
ind in an asylum for the simple
minded. They are either knaves or
-, too easy" for metropolitan
journalists. News.