The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-20
BY
Jno. E. Stillnan.
No. 8.

internal revenue for the state of Flor
ida. which he has held up to and in
Guiding now.
I was a delegate to all Republican
state convention in Florida from 1888
to 1908 and Lee was Chairman of all
of them with the possible exception
of 1883.
In 1886 Lee desired TO run for con-
gress in the Second congressional dis
trict. such nominations being desirable
to strengthen the prestige Of the can
didate in the eyes of the national ad-
ministration.
l opposed his nomination and argued
with him, attempting to show him the
bad effect it would have on the party
in Florida for a negro to run, espe-
cially in that district-the white sec
ton of Florida.
He was obdurate and carried the
fight into the convention. The can
didate ! was supporting, J. n. Strip
Inns. was nominated. Lee took the
platform and made a bitter speech,
charging the chairman of the state
committee (myself) with the respon
sihility Of his defeat and threatening
me and those who aided me with the
Washington.
1t was the only time I ever knew
him to lose control of himself, but it
was also the only time. as he said in
his speech, that the Republican party
had ever refused Joe Lee" anything
that he had asked for.
/ replied that | was proud of what
ever influence I had had in bringing
~ 7 I a
what | had for what l considered the
best interests of the party. and was
willing to abide by any personal con-
sequences resulting.
The convention was in an uproar
and it was about midnight. Stripping
wanted to decline the nomination, but
I persuaded him to stick, and he made
a creditable race.
Incidentally, ! will say that Stripping
was appointed United States district
attorney by Mckinley in 1897, reap
pointed in January, 1902, but displace
by the machine four years late-Lee
finally got him.
He Got Stillman.
And likewise, he finally got" me in
1910, but 1 had stayed longer than J
wanted to. except to resist being
out, anu Hdu
to want to see the hand played out
l had stayed long enough to realize
that what | had taken for a political
party with principles was not party
at all, but as an old East Florida
erstwhile Republican friend said to
me recently, it was disease
The above mentioned convention oc-
Cured a few months previous to Nc
TIL H.,
caused a breach between Lee and my
self.
saw nothing Of him except at one
meeting of the state committee, until
a few days before the inauguration of
Mckinley, when Judge Long called me
up and asked me to call at his rooms
in the st. James Hotel.
Going there, I found Long and Lee
and Long endeavored to heal the diff
ferences between Lee and myself, and
made the proposition that he. myself
and Lee form an alliance for the con-
troll of federal patronage, stating that
we three could perfect a machine in
Florida that would be tighter the
Platt's machine in New York or Quay's
machine in Pennsylvania, that I could
select any Office in the state that
might want for myself, and that they
would treat my recommendations WI
every consideration.
I saw that to accept the proposition
meant placing myself in the hands OF
Long and Lee, to the detriment OF
those who had been my friends and
supporters. I refused the proposition
Within two weeks after Mckinley s
Inauguration an alliance had been eff
fected between Long and Lee and the
Chubb element in the party. the ele-
ment that was persona ron grata with
the Mckinley administration, and the
fight for the spoils was on.