The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-24
.COL.- TOOMER IN BARLOW
(courier-InformanD

An audience Of about thirty-fve per
sons assembled in the courtroom on
last Friday night 10 hear an address
from Hon. ". ". Toomer Of Jackson
vile, on behalf Of his candidacy for
congressman at-Iarge IN the second
primary.
Col Toomer is pleasant, cultivated
gentleman, and plausible speaker.
and to the listener who did not watch
closely, his speech would have appear
led to be entirely understandable. But
lff we had been in the audience blind
folded. without knowing who was
speaking. we could easily have spotted
| the speaker as a representative of the
trusts and of ringism in politics tho
these features were very artfully con-
ceaIed behind profession Of popular
Iprincipies A man who believes. as Col
Toomer professed to do, that there will
ever be a time when We can give the
tariff question a rest" is not a good
democrat, in fact no democrat at all
The tariff as the chief source OF gov
eminent revenue. has always been and
ALWAYS will be the greatest economical
and political question that can possibly
affect our people. BY its abuse it has
earned the name Of the mother OF the
trusts" Eternal vigilance is our only
safety in dealing with it. and the man
who is willing TO "let it rest even for
the briefest period. can only be a
friend of those who benefit by its
abuse.
In his treatment Of the Initiative
and referendum" Col. Toomer misstat-
ed entirely its purpose and method of
duplication. We cannot think that this
was due to ignorance of the subject on
his part. but rather to a presumption
of ignorance on the part Of his hear
ers.
Col. Toomer had little TO say in re
gard to his competitor, Editor L'Engle
who has made some serious charges
against him, but entered a most en-
phatic denial of each and every one OF
these charges How much value is &c
be attached to this denial. Is shown
. in one case at e1ast by the letter from
Senator Don c. McMullen Of HillsborC
county published elsewhere) who was
: member of the last two legislatures
and whom every one knows TO be q
man Of highest honor and integrity
Mr.. McMu1len's letter is as follows:
Tampa, Fla, May Is, 1912.
2 Hon Claude L'Engle,
81 Jacksonville, Fla:
: Dear Claude-I am just in re-
ceipt of yours of the 18th inst,
enclosing circular with respect
4 to your candidacy. Some of the
r facts stated about Mr.. Toomer I
e know of personal knowledge. I
, was present in Tallahassee and
8 saw him the lobbyist of the
! corrupt raeetrack interest argu-
n ing their cause before the Legis-
Iature, and TO show how COM
s p1etely he was antagonizing the
will of the people, when the nna1
vote came on the racetrack
proposition he was only able to
e muster one vote.
;. l can say further, that so far
a as my knowledge of your career
f around the Legislature extended
n during the last two sessions, you
have champiOHed only such
a things as were right and for the
2 good of the people. I therefore
n renew my pledge of support
and hope that you will be over
whelmingly nominated.
2 With best wishes, I remain,
Yours very truly
D. c. McMULLEN
Col. Toomer's denial of the othe
lcharges rests upon like fimsy foun
q dation. That he is the Representative
e of the corporate and monied interests
n who are making a desperate effort t
s regain control of the state. is beyon
all question, and if the people know
, their true interests they will defea
him and the interests he represents Of
| the 2sth of May by one of the Iarees
: majorities ever given in a primary.