The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-06
A Dissertation on Activities
OF F. A. Wood, of Pinellas

Both of us were pretty fairly regu-
lar attendants of the sessions of the
Kind Words Club held every
night in the Leon Lobby. l was a
regular attendant at the sessions Of
the House, and in all three places l
listened to what Mr.. Wood had to
say on matters pending and pro-
posed-and he talked just the same
to all persons, at all times.
One of the things that l have been
foolish about for many years is the
open door" when public business is
Icing considered. l preached it as
long as l had an audience that
could reach, and l practiced it 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
conferences, no door closed behind
him in secret caucus on anything
When a man wanted to discuss leg
islative matters with him, he turned
his chair around where he was sit
ting, and invited him to 60 ahead.
| never saw him standing over in a
corner, or in deserted portion OF
the porch, talking to one, two or
three. He button-holed, and was
button-holed by nobody. When he
was in the House during the session,
he never wrote notes to the Speaker
asking for recognition at a certain
time. He took his chances to say
his say with the rest of the members,
on equal terms, asking no special
favors. He did not seem to realize
that the Speaker is powerful sort
of person who can, without being
unfair, dispense favors in the way of
looking your way, instead of the
other fellows, when the debate is
not and the time is critical; for he
treated him just like he did any
other member, disagreeing or agree
ing with him and expressing it audi
bly,, as he thought the Speaker was
on the wrong side or the right side
of question.
The first time I met this man
Wood was in 1907, when was
State Printer, and editor of The Sun,
published in Tallahassee weekly.
with daily edition during the legis-
lature. That year he came up with
a delegation from what was then
known as the Pinellas Peninsular,
asking that it be separated 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 it, for
among them was John Taylor, Sam
Harriss, w. l.. Straub, and old man
Hughey-at least they called him
"old man" Hughey, for no reason
that l could see except that he wore
srectacles and his hair was sorter
scattering on top and scant and gray
around the edges. They were all
busy boys, there 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 fail
ed that year because the Senator was
from Tampa and stood pat on that
weird, intan sible and undemDcratic
thing know as senatorial courtesy,
by which the Senate refused to con-
slider the merits of proposal af-
fectine the senator's district, If the
senator objects. Seeing that this was
so, Mr.. Wood carried the fight to
Carthage by announcing himself as
a candidate for senator from the
Eleventh District, composed of
Hillsboro county, of which Pinellas
Peninsular was then a part He
made hot campaign against Bob
McNamee and Don McMullen, 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 separa-
tion of Fineilas from IIillsboro coun-
ty strictly on its merits-which in
dicated a hi~h order of coura"e, but
low order of perspective into the
workings of practical politics. OF
course he was out voted by the over
whelming numbers living in Tampa.
who did not want to see this choice
piece of territory separated from
Hillsboro county, but he did get
some 500 votes in Tampa at that.
Now this same quality that made
him go before the people of Hillsboro
county in the question of county d.
vision after it was defeated in the