The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-05
SPARKMAN FRIEND OF LABOR
SAYS BIG LABOR JOURNAL

| The Journal of the Knights of La
Dor, labor organ published at Wash
| ington, d. c., has the following to
say about Hon. s. NJ. Sparkman. con-
gresham from the first Florida dis
trict:
in the political change that came
over the country in the election of
members of the sixty-second congress
the democrats took full and undisput-
ed charge of the house of representa-
tives. Having been out of power for
about eighteen years and knowing
that the greatest possible care should
be taken in the selection of the men
who were to steer the various tom-
mittees in the direction Of a safe,
sane and economical consideration of
| the numerous bills coming before
them, they started out placing Hon.
| S. NJ Sparkman, as chairman of the
| committee on rivers and harbors, one
of the most important committees in
the gift of the congress. The rivers
and harbors committee was used by
the previous congresses to help the
party in power without any consider
alton whatever for the people of the
country who were deeply interested
in getting proper consideration for
their rivers and h,.rbors.
'This committee, that had been
used as a republican asset for years
and which had appropriated millions
of the peoples money in such a man.
ner as to benefit the interests had
to be placed in the charge of a man
who was intellectually big enough to
handle it in the interest of the whole
people; man who could not be
swerved by the part of the interests;
who could not be wined and dined
with the hope of diverting the appro-
priations from their legitimate chan
nels. The man selected to fill these
requirements, and who would best
handle the peoples money and direct
it toward the rivers and harbors
that had so long been neglected was
Hon. Stephen NJ. Sparkman of Flor
ida.
Florida should, and we think it
does, appreciate this honor. 1t is well
known that Florida has the largest
seacoast of any state in the union,
and it needs man with the great
power and authority such as the
chairman of the rivers and harbors
committee has to look after its in
terest.
1T has been our great pleasure to
have known Mr.. Sparkman for num-
Der of years, to have furnished him
from time to time with data in the
interest of the men and women who
work so he could help us fight our
battles, for the right which he was al
ways willing and anxious to do. When
legal knowledge was necessary to our
success, Sparkman was never too
busy to help out. At no time was his
vote cast either in committee or upon
the floor of the house against u.s. AL
ways an intimate friend of the men
who work, always ready to assist
them and always entitled to and de-
serving of their highest praise and
consideration.
FLORIDA has in Hon. Stephen M.
Sparkman one of the brightest men
in knowledge, power and ability of
any state in the union. He is in
charge of the one committee so ne
cessary to the welfare of his state.
He is now and will be so long as the
democrats control the house of rep
resentatives, in position to benefit
| 1t more than any other one man.
Were it not for this fact and for the
| fact that labor needs him in the low
er house, we should strongly advo-
cate his promotion to the senate. He
cannot be spared from where he is.
regardless of the fact that he would
be real senator, as he is a real con-
gresham. We're he so elevated. The
state wants him and wants him badly
as chairman of the rivers and har-
Dors committee. Labor wants him
and wants him daily and hourly on
every question that affects the men
and women who toll. and it would be
a crime against both these great in
terests We're he to retire or decline
longer to serve.