The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-07
FIXING UP HIS
EAST COAST FENCES

Governor Cats has received much
adulation from some of the papers of
the state for his recent trip to the
Everglades, his intention of draining
the same, digging ship canal, etc.,
but the Miami Metropolis tells the
following on him:
Fixing Fences
1t turns out that one of the pur-
poses of the governors visit to South
Florida last week was to mend some
of his broken political fences and ar
range for the election of county rep
resentatives to the legislature next
year who will support his policies.
A big delegation of boosters fol-
the Stuart-Lake Okeechobee-Fort
Myers ship canal project, who attend
ed the waterways convention here
last week to urge that project upon
the convention and the members OF
the rivers and harbors committee.
and who were assured by the gov
ernor of his assistance, were puzzled
by his sudden disappearance on We'd
nesday, and it was explained by W.
A. McRae, commissioner of agricul-
ture, the sole member of the guber-
Material cabinet who remained in
town, that the governor had receiv-
ed hurry call to return to Talla-
hassee
The true explanation of the COVER
nor's desertion of the cross-state
canal boosters became known today.
Instead of being recalled to the cap.
| ital on state business, the governor
spent last Wednesday at Fort Lau-
derdale, attending a political confer
ence intended to win back some of his
Broward county supporters who for
different reasons have been alienated
from him since election.
Pacify Broward County
1t has been an open secret for
many months that Broward county,
which was a Cats stronghold in last
years campaign, has shown anything
but friendliness to the governor in
recent months. This change has been
due in some measure to his alleged
failure to keep his prediction prom
ises to the Broward people on Ever
glades drainage matters, and to his
failure to recognize the men who led
his fight for him in that county, when
it came to distributing public offices.
| During the governors visit here
last week it was freely stated by his
friends that he was anxious to win
back the support of Dade and Brow
ard counties, not only in the legisla-
ture, but in his proposed fight for
election to the United States Senate
! three years from now, for which he is
already making plans.
AS part of the program for get
ting Broward county back into line,
a secret conference of Cats leaders
from various parts of the state was
held in the Masonic temple at Fort
lLauderdale last Wednesday afternoon.
i Some of those present were Van C.
!. Swearingen, attorney general; Adju-
tant General Christian, "Billy" Par
ker of Jacksonville, editor of the
Free Press; Representative Seals of
Bradford county, A. N. Dobbins of
South Jacksonville, and D. G. Ten
Brook.
The latter is that Fort Lauderdale
man who some time ago started suit
Iagainst the governor for $4,000
damages for SANDER and defamation
i of character. Ten Brook claimed to
have had the governors promise to
name him as hotel commissioner
4 When another man was given this
job, Ten Brook made public some of
his correspondence with the chief ex-
ecutive, and it was because of alleged
comments made by the governor upon
this action that the damage suit was
instituted
One of the purposes of last weeks
conference is said to have been to i'm.
duce Mr.. Ten Brook to withdraw his
. damage suit, and the Duval county
Cattsites were summoned, it is said,
to aid in inducing him to that effect.
Whether the conference succeeded
in its purpose was not announced.
Mr.. Ten Brook refuses to make any
statement, and the governor and
others at the meeting refused to dis
cuss the subject or even admit that
any such conference had been held.