The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-02-23

intelligently select their next Cover
nor after a campaign in which each
of the candidates faces the firing
line, than they could after a social
ed "gumshoe" or soft-pedal cam
paign, and having been in the thick
of the fight so often, | have deter
mined to force an aggressive or
defensive stand on the issues that
must again be settled in the coming
primary election.
This gubernatorial campaign, like
those that have gone before it under
the primary system, will be one in
which a choice of candidates must
be based upon the candidates past
political record and his present at
titude toward public questions and
measures that affect the whole
people.
And should it so happen that
more than one candidate advocates
the same principles, that candidate
whose record demonstrates his 10y
atty to and belief in those principles,
should be selected.
A man who aSpires to the high
Office of Chief Executive Of a people
must at least pretend to some know
ledge of the Science of Government;
and since questions of Government
al policy have divided our people
into opposing factions, it is not only
the privilege, but the right, of those
who seek the adherence and sup
port of the people, to take sides up
on these questions and to advise
the public of the position they have
chosen to occupy.
This declaration contains nothing
new. Ever since the founding of
this Republic, when men were given
the right to think, to choose, and to
express a choice as to what Gov
ernmental policies should be pur-
sued and what representatives
should be selected to administer
that Government, opposing theories
have created controversies, and
champions of each theory have
been sought and found.
Today, in the State of Florida, we
are confronted with the issue that
must be decided over in each sue
ceeding election, the problem our
fathers before us and every liberty
loving people have had to solve
continually, as to whether Govern
ment shall be directed in the inter
eSts of all the people or in the inter
ests of the few who have special
privileges to foster and protect. tt
is the price Of liberty that the peo-
pie shall be vigilant to determine
who shall administer public Office
For by this decision is determined
the issue:
SHALL THE GOVERNMENT
SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE
PEOPLE OR THE PEOPLE OF
THE INTERESTS"
1t was to find relief from the con-
troll of politics by Special Interests
that the primary election system was
devised and adopted; and though it is
not yet a perfect weapon, it is the
most effectual the people have so
far been able to find. But even
this has not enabled us to entirely
control the privilege seeking class,
for the primary is open to all, and
THE INTERESTS" always have
their candidates. Only the people,
by their ballots, can eliminate these
Special Interests" from control of
our politics, and in order to do this
they must be informed as to the1
position of candidates in the fight.
There is a law of self-prOtectiOn
governing all human conduct, and
by that law it can be positively as
serted that:
THE ! SPECIAL INTERESTS AL
WAYS SUPPORT THAT CANDI-
DATE WHO is EITHER WEAK
ENOUGH TO BE CONTROLLED
BY THEM, OR WHO BY CHOICE
IS AFFILIATED WITH THEM.
If a man has, in the past years of
his political life been affiliated with
the Special Interests and has act
lively supported their known candi-
dates, then | say to the progressive,
fighting Democrats of Florida that it
is only reasonable to believe that he
will continue his chosen course, and
WELD for the benefit of his friends
the "Self-Seeking Interests" tn e
power you would place in his hands.
Again, if a man has failed to
stand out openly and fight Special
Privilege in the days when such a
course meant almost certain defeat;
if he has lodged the firing-line and
been content to merely "favor" the
right governmental principles, then
| say to those Democrats who have
fought the battles of the masses and
won, that SUCH A MAN is NOT
YOUR KIND.
In the final test Of a candidate,