The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-06-16
SUNDAY. JUNE 10. 1919.
No Unit Rule
In Florida Delegation.


The esteemed Ocaia Banner and a
few other similarly inclined papers
imagine they are having come fun with
the editor of The Journal because the
latter. having fought for the endorse
ment of Woodrow Wilson in Florida.
lost out in that fight, but was himself
elected a delegate to- the Baltimore
convention and must, under his pri-
mary pledge, support Mr.. Underwood
in that body. OneTof the Banners re-
cent utterances entitled Frank Mayes's
Sad Plight" is as follows:
Charles Reade once wrote a book
entitled, Put Yourself in His Place"
1t Is good thing to do sometimes.
Putting oneself In Frank Mayes's place
one can feel true pity for him. No
one within nor without the state of
Florida was so apparently hostile to
the presidential aspirations of Oscar
W. Underwood as was Frank Mayes,
and he did all within the power of his
ever ready pen to defeat him. He even
went so far as to rashly separate himt
self from his cold cash, and that is
going the limit with the average Flor
ida editor.
Frank Mayes dreamed dreams that
he would go to Baltimore at the head
of an anti Underwood delegation, and
that he would himself help formulate
a platform more pleasingly progress
i've" to his followers than even the
pompous Theodore could link together
with his voluminous and impetuous
unabridged vocabulary always at his
disposal.
But Frank Mayes's rude and ruth
less awakening sees himself going tc
the Baltimore convention labeled I'm
derwood, and his ambition of "figger-
ing" on the platform ungratiied. He
sees visions, as In mirror, of others
''kickin' him aroun' to the tune O.
that old 'houn dawg song"
Voting for Underwood Is worse thar
taking a dose Of ipecac to him, We
Frank Mayes has got to vote for him
and, after Underwood. If there Is any
after" for the candidate that the uni
rule imposes.
Now, isn't that a sad plight to be II
for a man who has spent as much
money as Frank Mayes has done FOL
the privilege? So IL he has not {
right to feel sour, we would like u
know what delegate has2
Acknowledging to having spent II
the first primary $154.60 for the privi
lege of attending the Baltimore con.
vention, he must have spent a grea
mary, and all that he can do is to an.
swer the beck and call of those dele
gates he has been holding up In hi
newspaper as all that is evil in politics
But that sometimes is the irony O
fate, and Frank Mayes has the con
ISOLATION Of knowing that fate hai
played the same tricks on others.
Cheer up. look pleasant and noun
the Underwood band wagon like
good little boy, and quit pulling bacl
on the reins
This is indeed delightful. None blu
a versatile pen skilled in humor
and adept at deceit and mis-statemen
on the other. could have accomplishe,
so much and to so little purpose a
the distinguished editor delegate of tn
Ocala Banner has done in this case.
You need not worry, Brother Har
ris, about Frank Mayes's plight a
Baltimore or anywhere else. The poll
cies which he advocates and the kin,
Of candidate that he wanted will
doubtless have as many friends on tn
floor OF the convention as your poIicie
will have. You have fought ever,
progressive policy and every progress
sive candidate that has been men
toned. Those policies and those can
didates viii predominant. What yo
win do remains to be seen.
DO not delude yourself either int
the silly belief that Frank Mayes o
any other member Of the Florida dele
cation has got to vote for any can
didate that the unit rule imposes" Q
that he is going 20 answer your bee
and call" when voting time comes.
You may flatter your vanity no1
that, as chairman OF the Florida dele
cation, YOU can swing and sway II
members at your boosted ''beck an
CALL" but the rude and ruthless awak
sning will be your part-not Mayess.
You ought to post yourself on Flor
Ida politics, Brother Harris. There
no unit rule in Florida. No delegate
or any number of delegates, can i'm
pose such a rule. Each delegate
responsible to the democracy of Flor
lda-not to the other members of tn
delegation. Each delegate may, an
no doubt will. vote as he pleases O
every question where a vote is take
You cannot prevent another delegat
from voting for Champ Clark or any
one whom he wants to vote for, an
no delegate can prevent you fro
voting for Harmon when you get read
TO leave Underwood for your nrst an
real choice.
And so far as Mayess campaign e,
penses are concerned. we have simp
to say that 1t was HIS money spei
BY him and honestly and accurate
reported-and not. as in your cas-
somebody ELSES money spent 70
him and NOT reported.