The Pensacola journal., 1920-03-28
In Speech at Live Oak Senior
Florida Senator Defends His
Record in Congress.
BARES MANY FALSE TALES
Senator Fletcher Declares Gov
ernor Was Not in Washing
ton at Time of Epidemic.

Live odA, mar. Ex-senator Duncan
U. Fletcher opened his campaign for
the democratic nomination to succeed 4
himself here today. The senator haSD
been requested to make his frs
speech here. inasmuch as he openes
both his first and second campaign,
here. He was granted a tremendou
ovation when he began to speak ant
| throughout his talk was granted tn.
cheered
Senator Fletcher told OF the con-
structive legislation which congress
has passed since he entered the sem
| ate and explained how he was a men,
Der of the most important committees
| and the ranking democrat in the sem
| ate. His speech, in part, follows:
| Friends and Fellow Citizens:
1t Is indeed great privilege and a
/ genuine pleasure to be able to greet
you today. These sentiments are en-
/ phasized and augmented by the ref1ec-
| tion that we are now doing what we
| have twice done berore-met here to
| consider the question of the proper
| choice the people OF Florida should
i
/ States Senator.
| What has followed from similar pre-
/ vious occasions, / trust has been sat
isfactory to you as the results have
been gratifying to me.
Perhaps we all have, consciously or
| unconsciousiy some remnants of SUI
| perstition, but, at any rate. we usually
like TO continue a practice which has
4 been found successful by experience,
and a certain delsshtfui Sentiment Is
awakened by it's indulgence.
1 trust we shall not be disappointed
in what the future holds in seolv.
4 On the first occasion / told you
!, truly that 1 entered the contest solely
on my own responsibility. That no
clique or ring or group or special in
terest asked or suggested that I make
the race. That had concluded to sub
NIT my claims for the nomination di-
/ rect to the democratic electors of the
state and abide by their decision at the
polls. / advanced certain views on
public questions and proposed a cer-
tain program for reforms and con-
structive legislation and pledged faith
full service toward their accomplish
, ment, If elected.
Six years later I was able te snow
that | had kept faith and had served
the state and the people and the coun-
try with energy and efficiency. The
people of nearly every county in the
| state so declared by a large majority.
| What / said both the first and sec
! ond time j opened the discussion here
would reaffirm today, insofar as
!. political doctrine was stated and my
: conception of the needs of the state
and the responsibilities of the office
are concerned.
This country believes in law and
order. No portion of ii more earnest
~ so believes than the South and
Florida. That is what l understand
to be Americanism. We believe in full
| liberty of speech and action by way
:, of improving conditions. correcting err
: rors. accomplishing needed reforms, in
accordance with law. But this Is no
soil for terminating the seeds of Sc
! dition and anarchy We have pro-
; | yided a constitutional way for right
: ing wrongs. Question of all kinds af-
Z fecting the people through their gov
: ernment are settled peacefully at the
| ballot box.
!, There are at every session thou
: sands of bills introduced, fortunatel,
. only small proportion become laws
At the last session i introduced q
measures and IL Of them became laws
II and are written into the statutes.
, | And yet there are those who would
have you believe I have been idle ant
inactive.
A few of the more important laws
the enactment OF which have been o
great value to all portions of thi
country, might mention
The law establishing the federal re
u serve system was most wise in con
= ception. and I might say providential
In my first speech here told you
would urge the adoption of an incom'
e tax law and revision OF our financia
L. system. That has been accomplished
II Another is the Federal Farm Loal
Act II has been in operation now les
than three years and over three hun
dred million dollars have been FUR
r | nished for farmers at 1-2 per cen
Il interest and on practically their owl
T. terms as to payment Of principal
l. Over 60 associations have been or
re ganized in Florida, and nearly 80.
J. 900 900 have been found for Florid
of farmers at the hitherto unheard
N rate OF interest of IL per cent. tn
Is principal payable q. 1 per cent pc
e. annum. with privilege of paying all o
Ut | any portion at any interest perio