The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-30
THE suMrER-MARIoN COMPACT

!. Editor Star: Our oldafriend N. J.
Wicker Of Sumter, writes to the Ban
ner to inquire if il is disposed to
continue the courtesy" of having
Marion and Sumter alternate in the
choice Of senator from this district.
The Banner prints his letter in its
issue of thee 22nd inst, and goes Mr..
Wicker one better, for it pledges itself
to stand by "the compact" and says
that Sumter stood by Marion when we
needed her aid
Under the custom of alternating,
Sumter has certainly furnished the
district with some fine men and we
were just as proud of them as she
was. This custom, if continued, may
prove as satisfactory for the next
century as it has been during the
last thirty-five years, and the voters
Of the district can by future results
best Judge Of the utility of the Gus
tom, but there voters are entitled to
know the facts about any alleged
compact" and the people of Marion
would like to know what favor or bens
eft Sumter has conferred on them
that has stood unrequited for the past
thirty-five years.
As. the writer happened to be
member of a senatorial convention,
held in Ocala about twenty years ago,
he feels it to be his duty to inform the
voters of the district that there is no
compact" now in force; nor do the
election returns show that the vote Of
Sumter. after we became a part Of
the same district, was ever needed to
redeem US from republican rule.
am not able to go to the records for
the actual figures, but such is my
memory. Dig into the musty records
of the past. Mr. Editor. and weigh
this unrequited debt, while / bear
witness against the alleged com
pact
In this senatorial convention, twen-
BY years ago. there were present,
among others, the now lamented Cen
eral Robert Bullock, R. A Burford,
". J. Chambers, F. A league, E. P.
Thagard and the writer, all of Marion
county, and William Hines, d. h. Ba-
ker and W. C. G. Kilgore, of Sumter,
and these / well recollect-
Sumter sent to this convention 81
e..11 1z1~--.4s<,, o~,.,..<-,I - -. 1ooI-
ing men. who were very anxious to
have Capt. Baker selected as its
nominee and it developed that both
Mr.. Chambers and Mr.. Thagard had
strong supporters, who were not dis
posed to yield the field to Capt. Ba-
ker out Of respect to either compact"
o. custom. The entire matter was
then fully discussed on the floor Of
the convention, over which Mr.. Hines
presided, and the alleged compact"
had even then grown so musty that
none living could bear witness to its
terms and Mr.. Klgore announced
from the floor Of the convention that
Sumter would be "abundantly salts
fed If we would let her choose the
senator then, with the understanding
that thereafter, thence forward, and
forever more, all agreements and
customs were done away with and
this district Was to be free field"
Dir. Kilgore is a good speaker and
well remember his words, "abun-
dainty satisfied; the isubj0ined words
Of course my own, but such is the sub
stance Of what was agreed to, 50
thinking it fair to give four years
notice Of the abolition Of the custom.
Mr. Chambers and Mr.. Thagard drop
ped out and Capt Baker was n0mi-
mated
Mr.. Burford tells me that he doe.
| not remember this particular conven
ton, but send copy Of this to Mr
". C. G. Klgore and one to each, Mr.
league and Mr.. Chambers, and Sc
what they have to say. The two las
are impartial as they no longer livl
IN this district and 1Er. Kilgore. Will