The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-12-04

and iniquitous determinations stop
ped.
| would be incessant in using the
influence Of the office to promote the
general welfare in every conceivable
way.
But | am reminded that the way 10
the gubernatorial office by the pri-
mary route is an expensive luxury
so costly, indeed, that the poor man
is almost entirely eliminated from the
race. | am, at ,lesat too poor to make
the effort
Warm, personal friends have been
kind enough to volunteer funds suffi-
ciently large to finance the campaign
for me, and while | thank them most
sincerely / cannot get the consent nf
my own conscience to accept contrl-
buttons for this purpose.
| think that one should go into the
executive office free, Independent and
untrammeled. More than office, with
it's honors and emoluments, is ones
reputation, and he should guard it rs
he would his very life. The smallest
instrument may deprive him of the
latter and the wagging of evil tongues
of the former. \ public officer should
be far removed from the grounds OF
suspicion.
| can but be profoundly grateful to
the newspapers Of the state. with
here and there an exception, for the
very cordial and enthusiastic manner
| in which they coupled my name with
| this high office.
| waited long and patiently to see
| if there was anything genuine behind
i this movement, except the love and
esteem of my cOnfreres Of the press.
and few strong, warm and loyal
| friends outside the newspaper prOfes-
| sion.
l confess to a keen disappointment.
| None OF my distinguished political
| friends, whose names are legion, for
| whom [ tore the shirt off my back
and made my throat sore hurrahing
in their behalf when they were candi-
dates for office, have tumbled over
themselves so far as | have heard N
their eagerness to have me become
governor of Florida On the contrary
so far as my candidacy is concerned
they have been as mute as the eterna
hills.
In this connection | am reminded
of, and cannot refrain from incorpor
|. ating, an extract from Horace Gree
ley's famous letter to William H
Seward, when the latter gentleman
was made governor of New Yorl
largely through the influence of III,
potential pen of the Tribune editor
, Mr.. Greeley said:
+ I was a poor young printer and ed
itor Of literary jOurnal-a Very act
i've and bitter whig in a small way
but. not seeking to be known out O
my own ward committee-When. ar
er the great political reyuisioh @
1897, I was one day called 10 the cit
/ hotel, where TWO strangers introduce
! themselves as Thurlow Weed an
!, Lewis Benedict Of Albany. They tOl
= me that a cheap campaign paper Of
Il peculiar stamp at Albany had been rt
e solved on, and that | had been selec
a ed to edit it. The announcemer
| might we'll be deemed fiattering b
one who had never even sought h
n notice Of the great. and who was nc
s known as a partisan writer, and I {:
:, gerly embraced their proposals. The
asked me TO fix my salary for th
; year: | named $1,000, which the
s agreed 10, and I did the work requi
? ed TO the best of my ability. II w
- work that made no figure. and create
no sensation: but | loved it, and I j
s it we'll. When it was done. YOU Vel
n governor dispensing offices wort
is $4,000 TO s20.nhn per year 10 yOl
>. friends and compacriots, and l retur
ed to my garret and my crust. and n
Is desperate battle with pecuniaTy OBJ
Of cations heaped upon me by bad PAL
ners in business and the disastrO'
events OF 1897 | believe it did n
d then occur to me that some oue
lie these abundant places might ha7
e been offered TO me without injustice
now think it should have OccurTt