The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-04-28

litical skies were Illuminated in near
~ every state in the Union with dem
ocratic ardor and enthusiasm, and by
SO doing came into possession of its
own, yet with this democratic halle
lujah nearly everywhere triumphant,
we beheld in pity this gifted
and honored leader turning his back
upon a personal and political friend
of long standing land giving his infiu-
ence to elect a republican governor of
Nebraska.
A large body of the democratic par
ty held grievance against Mr.. Bry-
an for voting for Weaver, the popu-
list candidate, for president, against
Mr.. Cleveland, but it was urged that
he did so at the instance of the ma
tional democratic executive commit
tee, SO the offense was condoned, but
in the late election, in the tremen-
dous struggle for supremacy, when
every nerve was strained to fall upon
the enemy hip and thigh and drive
him from his strongholds, Mr.. Bryan
proceeded to stand as a stumbling
block to glorious triumph in his
own state on his own responsibility.
In addressing a democratic conven-
ton in 1872, before his nomination
for the presidency, Mr.. Horace Gree
ley said: II will lead wherever you
will follow, or 1 will follow wherever
you may lead" That is the kind of
democracy that sets we'll on my stom-
ach. l have no patience with those
democrats who regard themselves as
being bigger and better than their
party.
l speak thus plainly because have
never sought nor held office, and new
er expect to do so.
do not belong to that school of re-
formers who shout reform for the
sake of office.
first entered upon an editorial ca
reer, could not understand how so
many of the men in public life found
it possible to reverse themselves on
great public questions. Calhoun and
Webster are conspicuous examples.
Even Henry Clay, the father of our
protective system, coined the aphor-
ism: Free trade and sailors rights"
Horace Greeley, the biographer of Mr..
Clay his political idol, and the 'wet
nurse" to the infant republican party,
ended his career as the leader of the
democratic cohorts
This leads me to say that so far as
know the Ocala Banner was the first
newspaper in Florida to advocate the
establishment of state and interstate
railways commissions and primary
elections.
1t became hostile to the convention
system because it thought it detected
in it too much jugglery for the nomi-
nations on the part of the politicians,
which made conventions unfair to the
plain, ordinary, common people. 1t
thought that it detected a purer dem
ocracy in the primary system. In a
primary it contended that the candi-
date would be forced to meet the peo-
pie face to face, and in so doing the
plain people would be given an oppor-
tunity of taking measurements of the
various candidates, and sizing them
would be in a position to cast a more
intelligent ballot. And then, too, the
poor man himself could become a can
didate and be given an equal chance
in the securement of Office
But, my, my! one may exclaim in
the language of Burns:
"The best laid schemes O. mice an
Gang aft a-gley,
And leave US naught but grief and
pain,
For promised joy"
Governor Gilchrist, in his recent
message to the legislature, now in
session, is authority for the compila-
ton of the figures which show that
the election of a successor to Mr..
Taliaferro, according to the sworn
statements of the candidates, cost the
enormous sum of 100000 This does
not include the sums spent and the
work performed by their friends at
the various voting precincts through
out the state
With these appalling figures staring
one in the face, what chance is there
for poor man in a primary election?
Echo answers, about as much as
stray dog at a bench show.
Living in an interior city. depend
ing wholly upon the railroads for the
i