The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-12-21


senate. in the Democratic primary to
be held in January. 1911 Two OF
these candidates, Messrs. Stockton
and Bryan, are from the city of Jack.
sonville; the other, Mr.. w. A. Blount,
Ids from the city of Pensacola. Waiv-
ing the inadvisability of selecting the
two senators from Florida from one
city, and the claims OF West Florida
to one of these senatorships. We will
consider the relative fitness of the
three gentlemen, for the high office OF
United States senator, regardless OF
locality.
All who have read Mr.. BlountS plat
form and his able and concise discus
SIGN OF the issues which are now so
prominent in our national political
life, and the unequivocal statement OF
his position relative to these all alb
orbing questions, must be struck by
the contrast with the enunciatlOns or
his competitors.
The primary ground upon which the
people of the state OF Florida are in.
vited to support the Jacksonville can
didates for the senate is, that the
democratic people, last June, nomi-
mated the late former Governor Brow
ard to the senate and that these gen.
| tiemen were his personal and politi'
! cal friends and supporters; that they
were in thorough accord with him In
all Of his endeavors and policies, and
consequently are his political heirs. y
These gentlemen, however, seem to
differ, and there seems to be differ
ence of opinion among their friends.
as to en- which the mantle OF Governor
Broward has descended. They all
agree that Governor Broward's "politi
cal heir should be elected, but differ
as 10 which is the heir" Both claim
| to be-.
However that may be, political
heirs" in this country have not in the
| past been successes. Van Buren, was
the political heir" OF General Jack
son, but the people were not sufficient
| ly satisfied with this heir to elect
him to second term. His defeat was
Overwhelming Taft is the political
heir" of Roosevelt. but in the opinion
| OF a large majority of the people or
this country. regardless OF party, the
administration of President Taft has
not been great success.
| In 1904, one Of the gentlemen, who
claims to be the political heir OF
Governor Broward, was a candidate
| for United States senator, in the same
| primary that Captain Broward was a
candidate for governor The demo.
cratic people nominated Captain Brow
ard to the office of governor, but re-
iected his now political heir for
| United States senator. Four years
later, this rejected candidate for tho
United States senate was the 'politi-
cal heir OF Governor BrOward for the
nomination 10 the gubernatoriai chair;
but the democratic people again re-
iected his political heirship', and now
he is political heir of Governor
BrOward, for the nomination to the
] United States senate. But he has in
this primary a competitor for the ''po-
! litical heirship' to Governor Broward,
in the person of Hon. n. p. Bryan.
! Mr.. w. A. Blount Is not political
heir" He says: Il am not the po-
litical heir Of any one. no mantle has
descended TO me, and | have absorbed
no ability or fitness for the high office
which | seek by associations with or
friendship for any man" Mr.. Blount's
pre-eminent fitness and ability is de-
rived from years of study and medi-
tation, differing in this as in other
things, from both Of his competitors.
A candidate for office should stand
upon his own merits-upon his own
fitness and ability to fill that Office.
There is no such thing as hereditary
right or political heirs under our
democratic institutions. Mr.. Blount
well says: What place in our form
Of government and in the primary has
the doctrine of heirship Of right to
office? When since the revolution has
it obtained? What kingship is there
here to warrant its assertion? The dl-
vine right of one man to succeed an
other in office because Of his relation
TO him ceased with the Declaration OF
Independencc" The man who asks
support to office because of friendship
for and support Of some other man.
| by that very act, admits that he relies
upon the capacity and fitness Of the
other man. and not upon his own, but
| in the discharge Of the duties of the
office. unfortunately, he cannot draw
upon the Capability and fitness of the
other man.
| All Of the candidates are honest and
patriotic, and all are, or claim to be
democrats We should, however. re-
member that there are two kinds Of
democracy. The democracy of checks
and balances, and all unrestralned and
unrestricted democracy. The democ-
racy OF Jefferson is Il democracy of
1
| limited, unfettered rule OF the people.
Such a democracy would be more ty-
rannical and odious than an absolute
monarchy Such was the democracy
of the French revolution of 17S9-the
democracy Of Robespierre, Marat and
Potion.
One of the candidates. Mr.. Bryan.
has not as yet given any evidence OF
! his democracy or fitness for the office
to which he aspires. He has never
held public office. He has never been
a member of a deliberative BODY. Il
is therefore impossible to predicate
any belief in Mr. Bryan's democracy
Or his fitness for the high Office to
which he aspires by any accomplish
ment OF his in the past
With the other two gentlemen, it is
different Mr. Stockton has been :.