The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-09-28
SAME OLD SONG IN THE SAME
OLD TuNE-A SHOT AT "OLD
GUARD"
(Peter StanIey.l

L
song of individuality in the same old
tune of pessimism. Political contro-
versy, through the press, is, under
ordinary circumstances, very much
out of place, and just at this juncture,
quite so. 1t is az injustice to the
reading public, a. infringement upon
the personal rights of the operators
Of newspapers, who pay the cost, and,
all in all, a very useless procedure.
So, Mr. Editor, if you will allow me
to return this passing shot" and set
myself to rights, | will be done with
the discussion-unless it becomes
necessary to call for personal privi-
lege"
In the first place, when man goes
back on all that has been done in this
atts-gubernatorial controversy, indi-
vidually setting aside the decision of
the very highest ENTHUSIASTICALLY as
well as the free ballot of the people,
there is no Use engaging with aim in
discussNn; because his will is IN
dividually fixed and the voice OF the
people and the courts can not change
him.
Then again, man who poses as
an intelligent and legal elector OF the
state in which we live admitting pub
nIly TIN cugh the press that the de;l.
ocraic party has lost control of the
political reins of government is GER
tainly suffering with disease which
am unable to name. He says the
Coffins and the prohibition party has
outstripped the democratic party in
Florida and elected a governor-and
he might have finished the sentence
by saying: "by large majority of
the votes of the people"
l have been voting what is caNed
the democratic ticket in Florida over
twenty-five years, 1t has always won
and is the same old ship of state to-
day that it was when I began voting
the ticket-at the age of twenty-one
years.
No. "Old Guard" the party is still
in power and doing business at the
same old stand. Some fellows have
been denied individual Dictatorship
believing, or pretending to believe,
that to change crews" is equivalent
+ changing parties, but they, like all
ether prodicals. will return in due
season, peRitent and converted The
people must rule.
My old personal friend also says
that loyalty is. or ought to be reci-
procal. Should the chief executive
put into practical effect this doctrine
bunch of fellows in Marion county
would soon be slurred. slandered,
crucified, read out of the democratic
party and declared undesirable citi-
zens!" So where does your reci-
procity come in?
This old friend of mine fools him
self into the belief that he has hid
den his personal identity behind
non de plume created for this article
and this purpose. A few questions,
please? Have you not had some pref
ty close political battles in Marion
county? You won out, didn't you?
But not by the will of all the demo
cratic voters. Are you, then, an Of
ficer elected within the power of the
party? | think so. OF course you
still have political enemies, but they
are not bounding you all over the
county and trying in every available
manner possible to hatch up just any
kind lof old evidence to bring ''im-
parchment charges against you. 1t
would be very unfair, and l, as a dem
ocratic voter, would strenuously OPP
pose such movement, even though
had voted against yOu-which l did
not.
The absolute truth of the whole
matter is this, and none of you fell
lows can deny it. You were in fav-
or of the other fellow for governor.
He got beaten. honestly and fairly,
and the fellow you didn't want was
elected by large majority of good,
clean citizens of the state who had
just as much right to an exercise of
the authority of the ballot as you or
|. Isn't this the truth? The result
came like bolt of lightning from
clear sky-symbolical OF great reform
movements-and you fellows who
didn't want Mr.. Cats were knocked
clear off your feeti AS soon as he
was put through all the fiery tests
possible and every charge brought
against him that could be dug up he
came out with the laurels of victory
wreathed into his very personalities,
you fellows who were defeated then