The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-10-18
BLOOMS POLITICAL
RECORD SHOWN UP
TO BIG AUDIENCE
SATURDAY NIGHT

- '4t'oin ~ SshdioutCo VII tiiC wv
publican ticket, respectively for State
Senator, Attorney-General and Rep
resentative from Polk county in the
Florida Legislature. addressed large
crowd in the Park Saturday night.
The meeting was called primarily
by j. l.. Skipper for the purpose OF
answering certain charges or insinu-
atoms published in the organ of one
OF his opponents, L. W. Bloom. who
is an independent" candidate for
state Senator, having been defeated
! for the Democratic nomination last
June by o. M. Eaton. The speaking
brought out two facts that have NOT
been given much publicity heretofore
--one being that up to the time of his
, removal here, less than five years ago,
Bloom was lifelong and ardent Re.
publican, engaged in running Re-
publican newspaper in Kansas. The
other point made by the speakers is
that Bloom is now bolter from the
Democratic primaries, that he is an
independent candidate, representing
no politics or party, and his name was
put on the ballot by petition, as anv
man in the county could have his
name on in the same way, provided
ne got certain number of signers to
his petition-it being well-known tina.
any kind of petition for anything can
obtain as many signers as may be de-
sired.
Mr.. Shippers address dealt prin-
cipally with the charge that he had
1een active among the colored people,
in efforts to line them up politically.
lie denied this vigorously, saying that
the only time he had attended a gath
ering of the colored people was wher
ne went to counsel them not to attend
the Republican convention at Barlow
IN large numbers, as he had heard
they intended to do, because he feared
tfat demonstration Of the kind
might arouse race prejudice. which he
had always striven to keep down. II
nave never tried to array race against
race, Or class against class-the man
who does so is bad Citizen said the
speaker. He added that he had been
postmaster Of Lakeland for sixteen
years, with power to appoint all the !
assistants In the office, and had never
appointed colored person. These
appointments now are under civil
service, as is that Of the postmaster ,,
himself, so that the insinuation that
a postmaster had been agreed upon"
by the Republicans, or that negro an.
pointees were considered, is absurd.
All the talk about the negro, Mr., Skip.
Per said, was solely to create preju-
dice against him, and was without
foundation.
Mr.. Skipper ridiculed most of tho
charges that were published. taking
them up one at time and reading
them from the paper. Relative to the
one that he would try to get 100000
worth of Pinellas bonds validated. he
stated that he might do this; that he
had bought the bonds in good faith.
and If he could get the money for the
stockholders Of the American State
Bank, he thought 1t would he proper
Tor him to do so. The bonds are
worthless because Of legal techni-
cality and they should be validated.
He touched upon the conversation
n the Park wherein some one was
supposed to be "peeved at Bloom be.
cause he wouldn't fight John Logan
'or sheriff. and commented that.
here was a mighty good reason why
Bloom did not fight John Logan
Alonzo lives here The crowd seemed
o understand.
Judge VIM. Gober next followed.
md after some discussion of the
League of Nations and other issues.
ne also touched upon the senatorial
race. He asked who would be more
apt to stand for social equality with
he negro. l.. Skipper. a native
Floridian, who has lived all his life
here who has always been true to
Southern ideas and traditions, or !:
lifelong Republican who has recently
come into Florida from State where
he races are not segregated. He said
hat Bloom had asked Mr.. Skipper
& discuss issues with him, but that
Bloom represents no issues, being a.
of no party, holding no GER
.ificate from any political organiza-
ion, but on the ballot only by peti-