The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-05-31
LABORING UNDER DELUSIONS

We understand that Mr.. w. J.
Folks, at the Shady meeting, declared
that he'had been attacked in the pub
lie prints, and that he was the cham
pion of the people. \
Mr.. Folks is Iaboring under two
decisions. The first is that he has
been attacked in the public prints.
We believe the Banner has given him
a couple of mild dabs, and the Star
has criticised him a little, but if he
will take the trouble to count them
up both papers have given him far
more kind than unkind words.
Mr.. Folks is like all other men
who after occupying the posts of
good but rather secluded citizens all
their lives, in communities where
their many virtues are known. and
few faults excused for the safe of the
said virtues, suddenly step out in the
big crowd. where they are unknown
and have to make good among those
who neither know nor care how good
they been at home. He has not learn.
ed yet that his becoming a politician
and a candidate, gives every other
citizen a right to criticise him, and
that his fellow citizens may look at
his actions from a different stand
point from that which he occupies,
and that they don't have to agree
with him if they don't want to.
If Mr.. Folks is correctly quoted in
saying he is the champion of the peo-
| pie, he has made a mistake. First,
that is a boast that no man should
make. Self praise is half scandal,
| and man who does wen should leave
others to do the praising. So far, we
have heard very little praise of Mr..
Folks except from himself. All who
know anything about Legislative pro-
eeedings for the last ten years declare
that Mr.. Folks has done far less for
Marion county than any other man
who has been sent to Tallahassee from
here in all that time. He is fine
old man, and everybody likes him,
but he doesn't deliver the goods.
Let's take this house joint resolu-
ton 279, which is to be voted on in
the general election next November.
Mr. Folks voted for this in the legis-
lature, because, he says, his county
might not have voted bond issue,
in which case the state road commits
sion could have built some roads IN
Marion county with money taken
from other counties. Now. Marion
has bonded for good roads, and Mr.
Folks says that in the general cleo
ton he will vote against house joint
Fresolution 279. By what process CT
reasoning does Mr.. Folks arrive at
| the conclusion that his course in this
matter is consistent? IL Mr.. Folks goes
back to the Legislature, and meets
there any of the men who voted with
him on house joint resolution 279
won't they say he double-crossed
them? And won't they proceed to put
the rollers under him when he tries
to obtain their help in some measure
for his own county? They surely will
The Star has always supported the
cause of good roads. But it's rather
hard to place Mr.. Folks. We have al
ways understood he was opposed tO
bonding for that purpose. About
five years ago, when Lake was put
ting in the system of roads that has
proven of so much good to her owl
people and such good advertisement
to her abroad, the citizens of Marion
held a mass meeting to decide wheth-
err to call bond election or not. The
sum was from half to three-quarters
of million, and that amount would
have built twice as much as the same
sum today. Mr.. Folks was prominent
against it. A year ago in the legis-
lature he voted for a measure which
tho as crooked as blacksnake was
in his opinion intended to raise money
to build roads. A few weeks ago. we
suppose, 1--WE haven't asked him) he
voted for the bond issue of $3.50, 00C
to issue bonds, which sum was voted
Now he tells US that in November he
will vote against the legislative meas