The Ocala evening star., 1915-08-06


said that if the people did not like
Bloxham county after giving it a
trial they could later be joined to /
other counties if they so desired. (He /
did not mention the probable expense |
of such "experiment."D The senator /
concluded his speech with: DO we
need the new county? If we do, vote
for it. If you're satisfied with roads I
being built around Ocala, vote down
Bloxham." He said that he wanted to
go on record as favoring the PROPOSE
ton Of taking Dunnellon into the
Bloxham fold, and also waiting until
such time as it was admitted TO decide
upon the location of a permanent
county site.
Mr.. John r. Willis, Judge Of the
probate court of Levy county, opened
his speech with regrets at the present
fight, as it meant to him fighting his
brother, his cousin, his neighbors, and
Williston, the place of his birth. How
ever, he believed that the formation
of Bloxham means that Levy county
will suffer great losses. He stated
that but for his love of his home
county and constant work at Talla-
hassee with the opponents of the
Bloxham scheme, it would now be in
operation instead of being referred to
! the citizens for approval. He pre-
sented statistics from the county re-
cords showing what the change meant
to both the old and proposed new
counties in the way of additional ex-
pense. He said that he had received
letters threatening him with defeat at
the polls for his present office, the TAX
ing away of his legal practice and
other calamities, but that he was
fighting for a principle, and these did
not deter him from doing his duty as
!, he saw. it; he had been in the fight
. early and proposed to stay TO the
; finish at sundown on September 14th
While all the speakers received more
or less cheering, Judge Willis re.
) marks brought forth more enthus-
/ iasm than any of them.
: Mr.. Sheldon Phillips, state inspec
/ tor of rural schools, who resides a
= Williston, was the next speaker. He
5 said that he did not have time to an
5 swer all the spurious" remarks o.
e the opponents to county division
= However, he devoted much of hi
: time to Judge Willis remarks, accus
= ing him of distorting the facts involv
ed both in his speeches and newspa
S per articles. Upon being asked VIII!
e all the enthusiastic county division
: lists who were in the limelight in thi
=; campaign were from Williston, Nh
S Phillips said he presumed that it wa
Il for the same reason that the opposing
: side was represented by residents o
= Bronson and Ocala. This answe
Il brought quite a cheer from the op
e ponents, as the Williston speakers a.
: discIaim any intention of swiping tn
e county site of Bloxham should II b
e created.
Mr.. w. L. Colbert of Ocala, whe
ne arose to speak, said that he coul
o see the expression on the divisionist!
q faces saying, Yes, here is anothe
l. county official" However, fairness wa
n what he contended for. He cited tn
; fact that the Jivisionists tried to pas
# the bill over the protests of the tw
N counties, and failing in this, returne
, TO their constituency holding then
p selves up as models of fairness b'
ts cause the refendum clause vas adde
W This, Mr.. Colbert showed, was r
fault of theirs, as this clause was pI
m on as a last resort of the opposite
and the divisionists could not head
off.
Mr.. Gus Morton of Williston, sa
he had not intended appearing on IL
rostrum on this occasion, but that ii
committee on arrangements thougl
differently. He said one of his stror
pleas for small counties was the a
parent fact that the rural schools d
not receive the attention that they d
served. He said that he believed Il
opponents of division were honest
mistaken in their views on the su
ject, but that they were making
hopeless fight against it. He deni
the assertion that Willistonites war
ed to gobble the offices of Bloxham
well as the county site. He said tn
he favored Morriston as the coun
site and when the time came wou
use his influence in that direction.
for himself, he said that when he h
accumulated sufficient amount
this worlds goods at raising cucul
bers to make him independent, if t
people wanted him for governor
would accept the position.
Mr.. ]. T. Hutchins, member of
board of county commissioners fro
the western part of the county, W
then introduced (tho he needed no
PRODUCTION, as every man, woman a
child on the grounds knew him p,
sonally). Mr.. Hutchins asked why
proposed Bloxham county did not
clude the territory on a straight i
from Orange Lake southwest to d.
mellon as originally intended and
ing unanswered, said that they KIN
that the people in the southern p
ton would outvote the Willistoni