The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-23


Public Instruction OF Escambla coun-
ty. Florida, and the superintendent
on school matters for a quarter Of a
century. l have. for more than ten
years, offered prize for excellence In
composition to the pupils Of the Pen
sacola High School; have introduced
and assisted in having passed a bill
providing for high schools and graded
| rural schools, which, in its operation,
would have made 1t possible for the
| poorest to get an advanced education
at home, without cost: would have
| educated In the state and each county
all primary teachers needed. and
would have filed the gap in a COM
plete state system of education. from
the common schools to the university
l voted for state appropriations to ex-
tend the benefits of a common school
education: assisted largely in procur-
| ing, by legislation, the share of the
state school fund in the Indian War
claim fund; caused to be incorporated
into the law provisions extending the
| life Of certificates of school teachers:
and at all times have striven to place
within the reach of every child in
Florida, rich or poor, the best and
highest educational facilities. Recog-
nizing the University of Florida as a
cap-stone Of the school system of the
state, and that it's usefulness and sta
bility depend upon the schools below
it, have worked for 1t and them I'M
lceasingly, year in and year out. l
trust that it was in recognition of my
earnest desire, and such expression as
I have been able to give it, that I
have received from the University of
Florida its highest gift, the degree of
Doctor Of Laws.
l have the honor to have been re-
Gently appointed by the governor as
member Of the commission to revise
the school laws of the state.
While, naturally, not having held
public office, other than legislative,
my activities have been chiefly direct
ed to the building up Of my home
town, yet, as the opportunities Of
fered. I have tried to initiate and &C.
complish things that thought for the
benefit of the state and its people.
For example, / drew the judiciary ar
ticle Of the constitution of 1885, as It
was passed by the convention, with
few amendments; devised and pro-
cured to be passed the constitutional
provision establishing criminal courts
Of record; drew the constitutional
provision defining the qualifications Of
voters; drew the first effective quar-
antine law Of the state; drew the law
providing for the protection of har-
bors; drew the act by which the
courts can exercise jurisdiction In va
cation, therefore exercisabIe only In
term. thus saving the immense ex-
pense of OBTAINING juries while mat
of in, no
court: inserted in the tax law the
provisions for rebates for advance
payment and penalties for delayed
payment OF taxes, so as to secure
prompt payment; drew and caused to
be passed the law providing for Of
fetal reporters for the circuit courts
Of the state; drew the law permitting
owners Of timber and turpentine lands
to enjoin trespassing on them; drew
the first systematic law providing for
liens for material men and laborers;
drew the law making stock in corpo-
'rations liable to execution against
} the stakeholder owning the stock;
drew the law permitting the owner,
although not in actual possession Of
land, to quiet his title by a bill in
chancery; voted for and advocated a
bill providing for inspection to insure
pure naval stores; voted for bill
making appropriations for farmers
: institutes. and voted for two men,
orials to congress asking federal aid
for hard roads.
While I have been, since arriving
at age, democratic party man, fire.
quently voting, in order that the in
tegrity Of the party might be main
tanned, for a candidate whose views
with univ
never been a factionist No man has,
or group Of men have, ever Influenced
any action Of mine by the argument
that 1t was best for any faction, un-
less such action was, in my opinion,
just and fair, and have not hest
tated to vote and act against the
wishes of my personal friends, when
persuaded that the dictates OF right
or the interests of the public demand
ed that it be done. l might illustrate
by numerous examples, but l assume
that the statement Wall be accepted.
|
have set down as shortly as I
, could such facts as have occurred to
, me, to enable the voters of the state
to determine intelligently whether
.. my past life gives assurance of such
. practical ability as to enable me to
attend to the principal matters re-
quiring the attention Of a senator;
whether it shows any devotion to the
AFFAIRS OF the public and the advance
ment Of its interests; whether 1t DEM
onstrates any ability to conceive, ini-
tate and accomplish results beneficial
to the people; whether it shows q
, desire to work for them and their
good; whether, above all, it shows
, such honesty and steadfastness Of
: purpose that they can trust me with
: the highest trust Of sovereign state;
) in short, whether l would make an
' able, fearless, conscientious, active,
effective and credtable representative
, of the state of Florida, in the senate
> of the United States.
| W. A. BLOUNT.