The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-04-23
LEGISLATORS
OF FLORIDA ARE
WORKING HARD
MUCH HAS BEEN SAID OF THE
EccENTRIcITY, PROGRESSIVE
NESS, ETC, OF THE MEMBERS,
BUT A REAL SERIOUSNESS PER-
VADEs AND EVERYONE DOING
HIS BEST.
BY FRANK |. HuFFAkER

Tallahassee, April 22.-Much has
been said of the eccentricity, the pulch-
ritude, the wisdom, the sensationalism,
the progressiveness, the idiosyncra-
sizes, the taciturnity, etc, of various
members of the 1913 session of the Flor
ida legislature, but it must be remem-
bered that real seriousness pervades.
All members are working like Trojans.
as If their entire life depended on be-
ing Industrious at this particular ses-
sion. Committees are clogged with
bills and the poor clerks are getting
the sympathy of the entire state. But
a trifie over two weeks has been con-
sumed of the sixty days period and his
tory has been made.
UP in Illinois last week, an irate
member upbraided the speaker in the
house; in Florida, the speaker held a
private reception one evening to get
right with the press boys, showing
what a vast difference there is between
the sections.
Representative McwilIfams, of ST.
John, is acting the pendulum of
the house and Senator Calkins from
the sixteenth district, attempts to pour
oil on the troubled waters in the dig
nified end of the house. Harry Floyd,
of Franklin, the keen futurist and
disciple of press agency, does the
Harry Lauder act in the lower house,
and John p. Stokes, of Escambia, fur
nishes the amusement Overt IN the
senate.
r. A. McGeachey, of Milton, repre-
senting the first district in the senate,
has caused a terrible lot of trouble be-
cause no one can pronounce his name.
A. S. Wells, of Leon, has made a repu-
ton by never appearing on the street
loss Sss6 Nv h fr- ooh
pipe. Senator bill Stone" of Missouri.
made a hit by being the most quiet
and retiring gentleman in the L. s.
senate, but Senator Zim, from st. Au-
gustine, is fast gathering in that honor,
for the president of the State Fedora
ton of Labor, pedals along so smooth
ly that no one knows that he is on
the scene, but his influence is supreme
when it comes to labor matters.
Representative w. S. Middleton, of
Putnam, has a hobby on the citrus
fruit legislation, and while his district
is one OF the prime shipping points for
oranges, the gentleman from Palatka
makes 1t apparent that no other county
in the state is engaged in raising
oranges or grape fruit his earnestness
being of the top-notch order.
John A. Van Val Zah, of Volusia,
has a hobby on insurance and if it
were possible to be assured of peace.
some company should be incorporated
to keep the doctor from talking insur-
ance for his voice is never quieted
when it comes to getting after the in
surance companies.
Harry Goldstein, from Nassau, in the
house, is a sort of John Drew, as his
personal appearance is always faultless
and furthermore, he has been accord
ed signal honors in the 1913 session.
Some one remarked one night that Mr..
Goldstein never spoke in the house
unless he did so from behind the rail
which shows what fine conceptions of
publicity the member from Fernandina
entertains.
w. H. Walton, of Mapoles county,
sometimes appearing in papers as Mr..
Mapoles, from Walton county, creates
ripples of laughter each day. ''Bill' is
there when 1t comes to getting in the
limelight, his poor shoe" law having
made the editor famous and infamous
when it comes to shoe manufacturers.
H. c. Stanford, of Kissimmee, the
bald headed representative from Os-
ceola is best known by being president
OF the State Chamber of Commerce