The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-02-27
{. N. EARNEST is
ONLY CANDIDATE
FOR MAYOR
So far to Announce--Friends
Will Push his Candidacy
in Each Ward.

E. M. Earnest head of Palatka's s
biggest dry goods and department
store has definitely. announced that
he will be a candidate for the Office of
Mayor of Palatka in the approaching
city convention.
In a conversation with The News
this week Mr.. Earnest stated that a
number of his friends had been urg-
ing him to become a candidate and
that he felt flattered by their appeals.
II realize" he continued, "that busi-
ness men are reluctant to shoulder
municipal burdens; that in so doing
they make sacrifices WHICH many feel
they cannot afford to make; | expect
that for me to secure the office would
mean something in the way of sacri-
flee, but there in on the other scale,
the honor, and this will balance the
sacrifice. | should esteem it a great
honor to be elected mayor of the
thriving city of Palatka. 1t is an
honor, and one worth striving for
And now that l have gained my own
consent to become candidate, in
tend to make every honorable effort
to secure the place. | certainly es-
TEEN it an honor to be thought by my
friends worthy of the place"
SO far Mr.. Earnest is the only can
didate spoken of for the office who has
been willing to consider it. Mayor
Usina positively declines reelection
He says he has had it long enough
and some one else ought to take the
office. Great pressure has been
brought to bear on Mr.. Usina to get
him to reconsider, but he is standing
pat on his original determination.
Arthur Corcoran has been spoken
Of as candidate. Mr.. Corcoran is
one of the junior officials at the Will
son Cypress Co. and most excellent
young man and deservedly popular.
He simply says "No," and says it in a
manner that cannot be misconstrued.
A most determined effort was made
to get Mr.. H. M. Fearnside to enter
the race for mayor, and for time
there seemed prospect of success,
but after carefully considering the
matter, Mr.. Fearnside determined to
abide by his first decision. He says:
81 positively will not be candidate,
and that settles it," Mr.. Fearnside
is a young man of high standing in
the community and had he decided
favorable to the race would have
made strong candidate. He has
many influential friends who were do
ing their utmost to bring him out. He
will, however, be candidate for re-
election as alderman from the Fifth
ward.
Other candidates may develop as
the campaign days draw closer, but so
far no one has been found who cared
to make the race, except Mr.. Earnest.
There is naturally some objection
to Mr.. Earnest from a class who are
afraid he would try and run the town
on puritanical lines. But The News
believes these fears are groundless.
Mr.. Earnest has well-defined views on
laws pertaining to the management of
State or city, and they are the views
of nearly all Christian workers, es-
pecially those connected with the
evangelical churches. But he is also
man of sound common-sense and
knows that managing the executive
office of a city differs materially from
the management of Sunday school.
As mayor The News believes that he
would carry out his oath of office i'm
partially in the enforcement of ali
laws, as would be his or any other
mans sworn duty. 1t does not be
lieve he would seek to obtrude his
views to the point of conflict, but that
he would be the same sensible man in
the mayors Office that he is in the
conduct of his own private business.
And that business has been such a
marvellous success as to bring out
favorable comment from business men
in all parts of Florida.