The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-03-29
HON. STEPHEN n. sPARi<MAN
Citra, Fla, March rs, 1912.

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
The entire south yearns for hon.
S. NJ. Sparkman to remain as cnair'
man of the rivers and harbors COM
mittee. The state of Florida calls
for him to remain steadfast. me
first district cannot afford to give him
up. as her vast interests .epend on
him. His great work in the improve
ment of her harbors and streams has
Just started. He is accused OF having
devoted his greatest energies and in
fiuence to his own district. 1t is
right that he should, as his own dis
trict having so long been neglected
and the resources being so great, no
other district in the state needed
them so badly as the first. No other
district his the advantage OF so mucn
water front and so many streams. NO
other district needs developing as
badly as the first. This district has
great promise of becoming the grand
est and most palatial garden OF the
world May God let Sparkman live
to see his ambition satisfied. That
ambition is to see the great ships OF
the nation sailing across the state
from the Gulf to the Atlantic, thereby
saving hundreds of miles OF travel;
and smaller crafts running in every
direction through the interior district
to move the great freight tonnage.
What we now have is only drop in
the bucket in comparison to what we
will have in few years if Sparkman
is retained as chairman of the rivers
and harbors committee of our nation
IL congress.
The first district of Florida is just
beginning to develop. Think OF
million tons of phosphate, million
tons of naval stores, millions of tons
of lumber and lime; also, we have
the material for millions of tons OF
cement, and have thousands OF acres
of building slate, such as was used
in the building of our national capitol,
and we will in the near future have
ten million boxes of citrus fruit and
the same amount of other fruits and
vegetables if the first district had
this ship canal transportation. She
could ship one billion bushels of po-
tatoes-enough to supply the United
States and Canada.
Sparkman can and will give us
what no one else can, as it may be
fifty years before a representative
from Florida will be chairman of the
rivers and harbors committee again.
And, furthermore, the world has an
eye on the first district of Florida, as
it is well known that we have the re-
sources that capital and brains are
looking for, and when they see that
transportation is all we need they
will come to our rescue and willingly
assist in getting what we want. This
is an opportunity to boost the first
district that will never be presented
again.
l have known Herbert Phillips since
he was a child, and favorably so, but
l say that with all his virtues and
excellent traits of character and
splendid oratory, neither he nor any
other man can take Sparkman's place
as chairman of the rivers and har-
bors committee.
The voter should think seriously of
this matter. AS we stay here and
look to the future welfare of our low
ed ones, the best we can do for them
is to leave to them the good work
that Sparkman can and will do dur
ing the next few years-a monument,
so to speak, of which the next gener-
alton may well feel proud.
Respectfully,
J. r. WILLIAMS.
SAVING THAT WHICH WAS LOST