The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-11-03
FROM SHERIFF GALLOWAY

To the Democratic Voters of Marion
County, Florida:
On this the eve Of the general cleo
ton to be held November 7th, 1916, as
the democratic nominee for the office
of sheriff of Marion county, Florida,
desire to present to you the facts in
reference to the primary election held
June 9Th, 1916, wherein it has been
determined that | received the high
est number of votes cast in the demo
cratic primary of June 9Th, as candi-
date for sheriff of our county, and am
therefore the democratic nominee for
that Office, and to ask the complete
perusal of and careful consideration
of this communication by all demo
cratic voters.
The state of F1orIda and its govern
mental affairs have been controlled by
you and your fellow democrats OF this
state since 1876, when by the cleo
ton of the Hon. George Drew as gov
ernor of Florida, you and your fellow
democrats wrested the control of the
state governmental affairs from the
hated and disgraceful carpet bag
gers" who had been forced upon the
people of Florida as result of the
civil war, as part of the aftermath
and suffering to which Florida and our
southland was subjected.
So, my fellow democrats, you have
since controlled the state government,
have enacted the laws, including those
governing elections and have estab-
lished your courts, elected your judg-
es and have passed the statutes gov
erning those courts in the admins
thation of your laws, and be those
courts, those laws and those statutes
what they may, they are yours, for
you have made and created them by
your acts.
Since years and years ago l became
a voter, / have been democrat, ever
true to the democratic principle that
in free government as is ours, the
will of the majority shall rule, and
that democrats must abide by and
stand fast to the will of the party's
majority, or to the will of such part
of the party as the party should sub
stitute for that majority.
On June 9Th, last, after heated
campaign of several months, the white
democratic electors of this county had
before them five candidates for the
office of sheriff of Marion county
myself, Mr.. Gordon, Mr.. Adams, Mr..
Lewis and Mr.. Priest-all supposedly
loyal democrats, who had offered
themselves to the democratic voters
that party representative might be
selected, not according to each indi-
vidual voters opinion, but by the will
of the greatest number of democrats
voting according to the law that you
through your representatives had pro.
vided.
We five candidates for sheriff, by
participating in that primary, at least
solemnly promised and
pledged ourselves to you and to each
other that we would stand to and
abide by the actual result of your
ballots cast on that day in that pri-
mary. That was and is democratic
principle, and it was an immemorial
custom of our party that each candi-
late participating therein should
stand to and abide by the will of the
party as expressed by the electors at
The polls by their ballots. in accord
ance with the election laws of our
state, and to me, as a democrat and
as man, that sacred pledge stands
as binding as if we candidates had
given it upon our oaths, as we inn
Dliedly gave it by participating in the
democratic party's councils and in the
affairs of the party. Small favor any
Of us would have found with you had
we intimated that we would not be
pound by its resultsi To man of
lonor and of principle an implied
pledge is as binding as an oath, and
my who don't SO hold is unfit to be a
democrat and to exercise the rights
}, an elector under our free govern
nent.
On June 9Th, the democrats of this
county cast their ballots, and then
7ou settled the democratic party's |
,hoice of it's candidate for sheriff of
Marion county, to stand on November