The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-04

reach. and practiced ii when / went
to congress. This man Wood is the
perfect example of the. open door,
legislator. He attended no private
meetings, he took part in no confer
ences, no door closed behind him in
secret caucus on anything. When a
man wanted to discuss legislative
matters with him, he turned his chair
around where he was sitting, and in
vited him to 60 ahead. / never saw
him standing over in a corner, or in
deserted portion of the porch, talk
ing to one. two or three. He button
holed, and was button-holed by. no
body. When he was in the house dur
ing the session. he never wrote notes
to the speaker, asking for recognition
at a certain time. He took his chanc-
es to say his say with the rest of the
members. on equal terms, asking no
realize that the speaker is a powerful
sort of a person who can, without be
ing unfair. dispense favors in the way
of looking your way, instead OF the
other fellows. when the debate is hot
and the time is critical; for he treated
him just like he did any other mem
ber, disagreeing or agreeing with him
and expressing it audibly, as he
thought the speaker was on the wrong
side or the right side Of question.
The first time met this man Wood
was in 1907, when 1 was state printer,
and editor of the Sun, published in
Tallahassee weekly, with a daily edi-
ton during the legislature. That year
he came up with a delegataion from
what was then known as the Pinellas
peninsular, asking that it be separat-
ed from Hillsboro county, and be made
into Pinellas county. These were all
hard workers in this delegation. and
knew exactly what they wanted. and
not afraid to ask for IL, for among
them was John Taylor. Sam Harris,
w. l.. Straub and old man Hughey-
at least they called him "Old Man"
Hughey, for no reason that could
see except that he wore spectacles,
and his hair was sorter scattering on
top and scant and gray around the
edges. They were all busy boys, these
Pinellas fellows, and worked hard to
get their bill through, and Mr.. Wood
was present and accounted for when
things were being said and done. The
bill failed that year because the SEN
ator was from Tampa, and stood pat
on that weird, intangible and undemo-
cratic thing known as senatorial
courtesy" by which the senate refus-
es to consider the merits OF a proposal
affecting the senator's district, IL the
so. Mr.. Wood carried the fight to Car
thage by announcing himself as a can
didate for senator from the eleventh
district, composed or HiIlsboro conn
ty, of which Pinellas peninsuIar was
then a part. He made hot campaign
against Bob McNamee and Don Nc
Mullen, both of Tampa, and debated
the question with them up and down
the county, telling the people that he
was not appearing before them asking
for their votes for senator, but to dis
cuss a business proposition-and then
proceeded to discuss the separation OF
Pinellas from HiIlsboro county, strict
| ly on its merits-which indicated a
high order OF courage. but a low order
OF perspective into the workings of
practical politics. or course he was
out-voted by the overwhelming num-
bers living in Tampa, who did not
want to see this choice piece Of terri
tory separated from Hillsboro county.
but he did get some 500 votes in Tam
pa at that
Now this same quality that made
him go before the people of Hillsboro
county i'm the question Of county divis-
ion after it was defeated in the legis-
lature by the grace OF senatorial cour-
tesy, is again working in the Wood
personality. prompting him to make a
canvass of the whole OF Florida, in
which he will take directly to the peo-
pleas many as he can reach by
voice, pamphlet and newspaper col
umn-the question that he was unable
to get the legislature to decide, by
| taking action on the bill that he intro
duced for that purpose. Of whether
county officials shall be paid adequate
but reasonable salaries like all feder-
al and state officials. or be still longer
permitted TO collect from the people OF
the county, fees which have grown, as
the counties have grown, so big as TO
be out OF all proportion to the service
rendered. and TO bear no ratio what
ever to an economical, as well as an
efficient handling of the counties bus
mess.
When Mr.. Wood told me that he was
going to introduce a bill changing the
fee system Of compensating county Of
ficials into a salary system. told him
that there was scarcely a chance OF
getting the bill through. because OF
the opposition coming from the pres
ent holders OF these county Offices.
who would at once conceive the
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