The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-25


j. H. Benjamin, Editor.
NEXT TUESDAYS PRIMARY
wiHiam Hooker for NatfonaI Commute
feeman
There are three candidates for the
purely honorary office Of national COM
mitteeman. They are William Hooker
of Ocala. J. T. G. Crawford OF Jack
sonvtlle and Eugene s. Mathews of
Starke. Marion county men need no
advice to vote for William Hooker.
consistent democrat. a leading lawyer
and man who might hold high office
II he cared to take the trouble to work
for it. Mr.. Hooker always does his
duty by his party and his friends. but
does not care enough for office to
work and plan for himself. John r. G.
Crawford, the brilliant son of a dis
finguished sire, is the very competent
manager OF w. III. Millions campaign.
He has hosts of friends all over the
state. Eugene S. Mathews is editor of
the Starke Telegraph. He is a clever
fellow bur has suddenly developed
talent for Hopping that is very discon-
cerfing to his friends. Gene was
strong Harmon man few weeks ago,
and was writing eloquent letters to his
friends and sending them nice little
books to prove that Harmon was the
best ever and democracy's only hope.
Then Gene went to Washington and
came back, and tho he had been gone
only few days he had in that brief
time been converted into an ardent Tn
derwood man. We have seen a. niger
converted with a jug of Ticker and a
five-dollar bill from one candidate to
another in less time, but Gene holds
the record for white men. This isn't
so bad among his neighbors who know
him, but IL he should get on the ma
tfonal committee and turn such a flop
where the whole nation could see him,
a cold and cruel world would say that
Gene had been bribed.
There are ten candidates for the six
honorary offices of presidential cleo
tors. The Star has no preference ex-
cept for Charles E Jones, Claude
L'Engle's right-hand man on Dixie .
and H. C. Sparkman, the brilliant and
gh-principled young editor of the
Lake City Index.
The GubernatOrfai Office
There are four prominent candidates
for the governors office-Cromw ell
Gibbons Of Jacksonville, VIM H Mil
ton of Mariana, Park TrammeII of
Lakeland and John W. Watson of Mi
ami. Either one of the first three
named will make good governor
They are men of high character and
intelligence, and every one of them
desires the office for the honor there is
in it and his belief that he can serve
the state. There is little difference in
policy between Gibbons and Trammell.
Both are well grounded in law and
either can be depended on to give the
state good administration, during
which no laundering or unconstitu-
tionai legislation is likely to dodge the
executive veto. Mr.. Milton has differed
from the other candidates on the con-
Wet question and has marked out a
road of his own, which he is following
with great determination. There is
much merit in Mr.. Millions views, and
the only fault the Star finds with his
Everglades farm plan is that it be-
lieves 1t requires better management
than any state is prepared to give it.
1t is certain that the state has the
fertile, and under proper cultivation
will yield great returns. The Star
would not be afraid to prophesy the
success of individuals in such an un-
dertaking, but if the graft and mis-
management that usually goes with a
state-conducted scheme got in their
work on such farm they would
create a scandal that would make the
name of Florida stink to heaven. This
particular issue, however, is not suf-
f1cient reason for rejecting Mr.. Milton
as 1t will not be gone into unless sup
ported by good majority of the leg
islature. For the rest, Mr. Milton is a
first-class citizen and an Al business
man, and il he is elected, the state will
not suffer at his hands.
The Star doesn't think much of Mr.
John w. Watson of Miami. the fourth
candidate for governor. 1t confesses
that it has little chance of forming his
acquaintance, Except thru his adver-
tisements and a pamphlet he has been
circulating. The. pamphlet is a very
tiresome document. filled mostly with
accounts Of the candidates life, which
is of no more interest than the life OF
any other citizen. 1t doesn't seem to
the Star that a man of the size neces-
sary to fill the office of governor would
circulate such a document. In his ad-
vertisement. Mr. Watson makes the
following promises:
"He promises to save what little lands
the state has left. and will not give
them away to western land spectators
HE promises not to bankrupt the
state by going into the sugar business,
but will put the convicts on the roads
all over the state.
HE promises to abolish the lease sys-
tenn, make roads all over the state. es-
tablish or state farms and yet not
increase the assessment one mill
That Is to say. he promises to do
things that he should know only the
legislature can do-that he is either
ignorant of the powers of the govern
ors office and thinks he can play the
autocrat. or thinks the people are ig-
norant enough for his declare tions to
impose on them. Whoever we elect for
governor, he should be man free from
suspicion of railroad dominion. and
that Mr.. Watson is more or less under
the influence of the East Coast Rail-
way is an opinion that great many
people in this state are not able TO rid
themselves of.
County Candidates
Marion county is fortunate in the
men who aSnjre tn fill her Offices and