The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-06
FLORIDA REPUBLICANISM
Under Roosevelt and Taft


NE is more due to a prudish reticence
Of expression on the part of most peo-
pie, than to any other one cause"
read the above statement some
where some time and it made enough
impression on me to cause n1e to re
member it. My friend Emerson says:
II You have anything to say, BIZ all
means say it,
I had hoped to be able in the pc
Rod between the time when ! was
prompted to write these articles and
the coming election to say what /
have to say and to tell my story of
where | got my republicanism and
where and how I lost 1t. and to IL
lustrate it all by instances and Incl
dents that have come under my OBJ
servation relating to the most pecul-
lar political situatio that, in my opin-
ion. could ever have existed,-suffi
Gent of II at least to show how l have
arrived at my present point of view
This would have included such ref
erences as were necessary to my en-
vfzonment during youth, first in South
Florida, where my father located Tor
his health when l was small boy
later my first real contact and asso-
citation with Southern people when
went to school at Gainesville, Fla.
(The section of Florida where my
father migrated to from the north was
settled up almost entirely by north
ern people).
And later what 1 learned in active
participation in the councils of the
So called republican party of Florida,
during a period of all the time since |
reached mans estate, during which
time / have been elected to office on
the republican ticket, appointed to va
rious federal offices and served in
every capacity on state, congressional
and county committees, including the
craftsmanship of the state committee,
and during which time / have lived
in South Florida. Jacksonville and
Pensacola.
But the allotted time and space will
not permit so extended scope Of
narrative.
That part of it will be published
later, but the remaining chapters of
this election" edition 1 feel should be
devoted to further emphasizing, and
translating certain facts of Roosevelt
and Taft. Pertinent to the pur-
pose and object that I am writing for.
ROOSEVELT THE FOUNDER.
Roosevelt, the main character and
founder of this dynasty. in my judg-
ment, and plan is occupying the same
position that the darkey did at the
trial.
Are you the defendant" he was
asked by the judge
mo sah," he replied, '1 am de man
what stole the chickens"
In discussing former political ac-
quaintances. I earnestly desire to
avoid being discourteous to anyone, or
to wantonly hurt anybodys feelings.
1t Is a situation that has produced
some peculiar and picturesque char
acters, and can only describe them
as they appear to me, but the joke of
having been a southern republican ap-
plies to myself as much as to many
others. It's all joke and the great
est joke of 1t all is that any man of
average intelligence should take the
eo-called southern republican party
any other way. Anyway that is the
way it looks to the writer. If anyone
should be inclined to see anything but
the righteousness of 1t all let him re-
member that wise rule: Don't take
yourself too damn seriously" OF
course. 1t must be admitted that it
takes some people a long time to see
the point of a joke. especially If it
is on them.
rambling prelude. we will take up Mr.
Roosevelt at the time when the au-
thor Of these chronicles first met him.
It was Mark Hanna who introduced
me to Theodore Roosevelt.
1t was in Washington in December,
1901. It was few months after Nc
Kinley's death and my occupation
and mission there was office seeker"
Mckinley had appointed me collector
Of customs for the port of Pensacola
four years before when was a resi-
dent of Jacksonville. And there were
others there in the same capacity, I
assure you. From all over the United
States politicians and office seekers
were there to find out what the new
man was going to do. There was
alarm and uncertainty in the air all
up and down Pennsylvania avenue and
on a good many Of the cross streets
as well.
Roosevelt had. in his three months
incumbency. discovered the ten
commandments and given his official
approval of them to the people Gre
serving. of course. to himself the right
to violate them in those periods when
his personal welfare and the right
eousness of the world required that
he should be 'practicar' MANI.
He had almost proved to the south
ern people that he was a real south
erner,-wasn't his mother born III
good old Georgia? Many of the PEG
pie in the country believed he was
horn III Montana and was a cowboy ur
70 the time of the Spanish American
war and with Henry Cabot Lodges
assistance in New England the people
fhara were led to feel that THE pro
duct of Harvard with his pedagogical
tastes was really and peculiarly one