The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-03-17
RESOLUTIONS
ON DEATH OF
W.D.B[OXHAM
GOVERNOR AND ApMINIsTRA.
TIVE OFFICERS OF THE ExEcU-
TIVE DEPARTMENT OF THE
STATE HELD MEETING FOL-
LOWING DEATH OF FORMER
GOVERNOR.

At meeting Of the governor and
the administrative officers of the exec
utive department OF the state of Flor
ida, held in the executive office March
15. 1911, the death of the Honorable
William Huntington Bloxharn. former
governor Of Florida, in the city of Tai
lahassee, on Wednesday. the 18th day
of March. 1911, was announced; where
upon the following resolution was
unanimously adopted and ordered tn
be spread upon the records of the
executive office.
WILLIAM HUNTINGTON eLoxHAM
No man of his generation has en-
joyed the confidence and affection OF
the people of Florida In greater meas
ure than Governor Bloxham-and none
more faithfully earned or richly de-
served their implicit trust. Practically
his entire life was devoted to the pub
lie service of the state. and throughout
the prime of his manhood, for three
decades, he was the unrivalled, unchai-
lenged leader and champion of the
sturdy and indomitable citizenship
which rescued Florida from the desti-
tuition of a ruinous war, and from the
intolerable corruption of alien and ig-
norant rule, and placed her destinies
again and forever in the hands OF her
own intelligent and liberty loving peo-
pie. He was the acknowledged leader.
of those patriotic forces which re-
deemed this state. first from the raw
ages of war and misgovernment, then
from the burdens of poverty and debt
and firmly established her upon last
ing foundation of educational, material
and civic development. He was con-
structive statesman, whose impress Is
indelibly stamped upon Floridas his
tory. For half a century his rare
eloQuence, his splendid intellect. his
high moral courage and his personal
means were laid at the service Of his
fellow Floridians, who, with ever-in-
creasing confidence in his wisdom and
probity and his remarkable capacity
for efficiently administering great pub
lie trusts, delighted more and more, as
the years passed, to honor him and
advance the states interests by placing
him in of1ciel positions of high re-
sponsibility. she causes of education,
of sound public credit, of economic
government. of improved transporta-
ton facilities, Of immigration, Of de-
velopment of the states resources, o.
increased respect for law and order,
and of a higher standard of citizen
ship, have had no more loyal or effec-
tive advocate in Florida than they
have found in William D. Bloxham.
All his life he was a citizen Of Leon
l. T.-1
1885. At the age of twenty he COM
pleted an academic course at the col
lege of William and Mary in Virginia
and was married the following year
to Miss Mary c. Davis, Of Leon coun-
ty. formerly of Lynchburg, Virginia,
with whom he lived happily until her
death in March, 1902. In 1907 Gov
ernor Bloxham was married to Mrs. G.
Moss Norvell, of Henderson, Texas.
who survives him. One son and one
daughter Of his first marriage died
soon after reaching maturity. He en-
tered public service in 1860 as a mem
Der Of the house Of representatives
from Leon county. Early in 1862 he
organized and commanded a company
of infantry which was mustered into
the Confederate service as company c,
Fifth Florida regiment. In 1868 he
was chosen as Democratic presiden-
tial elector for this state in support of
the Seymour and Blair ticket. Two
years later he was elected lieutenant
governor Of Florida. and in 1872 was
nominated by the Democratic party for
the governorship- AT this troubled
and critical period of the states his
tory the eloquence and superb cour-
age with which Governor Bloxham
waged the mighty battle for white SUI
premacy and home rule won for him
the devotion of his people which will
last as cherished legacy in the states
history. When that great struggle was
concluded. and the people of Florida
were again In control of their govern
ment, Mr.. Bloxham's splendid services
were recognized by his appointment as
secretary OF state in Governor Drew's
cabinet. which post he filed from Jam
uary. 1877, until 1880, when he resigned
and was elected to the governorsl1ip,
being the choice of his Democrats
fellow citizens.
Upon assuming the chief magistracy,
Governor Bloxham found the vast
grant of lands which had been MADE
by the United States to the state to
be drained and developed, apparently
hopelessly involved In litigation and in
debt to about a million dollars. with
the management of the entire fund
taken from the state officials and uu-
der the control Of the United States
court. all Of it being thereby made un-
available for the purposes Of promoting
franaDorta tim enumeration ouA ,a,,
cation, and the debt steadily increasing
through interest charges. Progress
and development were throttled and
the future appeared dismal. The mas
ter mind Of Governor Bloxhan grasped
this situation and Effected q happy So
luton. Four million acres of the
swamp lands. about one-ifth Of the
entire body. was sold for one million
dollars. which was used to Immediate
ly wipe out the Indebtedness and re-
lease the fund from the control OF the
federal court. and make 1t applicable
for the purposes Of developnnent fo-