The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-01-20
HOW THE CARDS WERE STACKED
ON STOCKTON

The editor of the Sun recently
came into possession. from trustwor-
thy source, of how the cards were
stacked on Stockton after the death of
the lamented Broward, with the view
to keeping him out of the senatorial
race. After the funeral Of Governor
Broward, which was on Monday after
noon, Mr.. Stockton repaired to his
home, retiring at about 100 p. m. He
had scarcely pulled the cover over
himself when the telephone rang and
he was informed that Mr.. Lewis de-
sired to see him on important bust
ness at the hotel Mr.. Stockton went
to the hotel and met his friend in the
lobby, the first question put to him be
ing. John, are you going to run for
United States senator?" Mr.. Stock
ton replied thta it was too early to
give such matter consideration, that
Broward should at least be permitted
to become cold in his grave before the
matter of his successor was consider
ed. Mr.. Lewis said, in effect: That
may be your idea of the matter, but
the others Milton, Bars, Hayes,
Lewis and several others) are this
moment caucussing preparatory to an
nouncing Nat Bryan's candidacy to-
morrow morning" Mr.. Stockton and
Mr.. Lewis remained at the hotel until
after IL o'clock, and not once was
stockton invited to participate in the
caucus. Early the next morning ]. M
Bars called on Mr.. Stockton with the
Cock and bull'' story that they had
searched high and low for him the
night before, telephoning his home
and other places where they thought
he might be. The fact was, however,
that no one had called Stockton S
home during his absence, and when
Bars was so informed, as well as to
the whereabouts of Stockton the night
previous and his knowledge of all that
had transpired, Mr.. Bars was consid-
erably taken back. Soon after Bars
departed, in came Bill Milton with the
same story, and later another of the
"card stackers" called and told him
the same thing, Bars not having seen
them to let them know that Mr..
Stockton was aware of their game.
The next morning, after the caucus,
kilograms, in the shape of night let
tiers, were received all over the state
requesting prominent men to wire
Nat Bryan to run for the United
States senate. He will run, etc.
These kilograms were evidently pre-
pared before Governor Broward's
body was laid to rest, for it would
have been impossible to have pre-
pared them after the caucus in time
to have gotten them sent out that
night for delivery the next morning.
This was not the first time John
Stockton had been shamefully treated
ny LAG ulCh lC nc0 hChPCO IL pOAiAlNot
but he little dreamed that he would
not be called in consultation by these
men when the question of a candidate
for United States senator to succeed
Broward was to be considered. But
history repeated itself, and the man
who had for quarter of a century or
more borne the brunt of the fight and
spent his money for his political fac
ton, was again betrayed when the OPP
portunity presented for him to realize
the ambition of his life 1t was
treason for him to then offer HIM
self for the senate after Bryan had en-
tered the race, and the latter went all
over the state telling Stockton's
friends that they ought to vote for
him (Bryan) this time, that they
could vote for Stockton "any old
time.'' as he was always running.
In the face of such treatment, Mr..
Stockton now requests his friends,
who can conscientiously do So" to
support Mr.. Bryan. The editor of The
Sun is one of Mr.. Stockton's friends
who cannot "conscientiously' support
Mr.. Bryan. In fact, we never would
have supported any other candidate
from Jacksonville in the first primary
besides Mr.. Stockton. We knew he
would be representative of the
whole people, and our long associa-
ton with him precluded our support
of any other man when we thought he
had chance to win the ambition of
his life We had voted for him for
United States senator many times in
the legislature. voted for him for gov
ernor, and it was pleasure to again
vote for him for the senate: but Mr..
Stockton must not expect his friends
to follow him any further in this
campaign. 1t is asking too much of
them. His friends feel most keenly
the shameful treatment he received
at the hands of the very men who