The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-20
SPARR'S WELCOME TO
THE CANDIDATES

Sparrites, as usual. covered them
selves with glory in the manner in
which they entertained their guests,
the candidates for county offices and
their friends, at the gathering held
there Friday.
1t was the first campaign picnic of
the 1922 season, and though every
body in the community was busy head
over heels gathering cantaloupes, to-
matoes and other vegetables for ship
ment, good crowd greeted the candi-
dates on this occasion.
Shortly before the noon hour Mr..
James Thomas, executive committee
man for the district, raped the gavel
on the front porch of the school house
and announced that portion of the
program would be pulled off before
dinner
Mr.. J. n. Simmons of Sparr, and
DR.. R. D. Ferguson of Reddick, as
pirants for the position of member Of
the school board from the third dis
trict, presented their claims for the
suffrage of the people at the polls at
the June democratic primaries.
At this juncture the dinner signap
was sounded, and the crowd moved to-
ward the heavily laden tables erected
under the oaks just north of the
school. house. After Rev. A. NJ. Mann
of the Citra Methodist church had,
asked divine blessings on the assem-
blage, everybody "set too" The Star
man on the grounds doesn't feel COM.
petent to attempt a write-up of the
good things thered isplayed for the
comfort of the inner man, only to say
that Sparr kept up her reputation of
many years standing. -
The afternoon program was in
charge of Marion's silver-tongued ora
tor Marion L. Payne. of the Fairfield
section, who was delegated to intro
duce the speakers apd act as master
of ceremonies. ..-.tf g.
Mrs. Julia d. Turner, the only lady
aspirant for political honors at the
coming primary, and whose home is
at Sparr, was invited to the speakers
stand, and told her friends and neigh
bors and the other voters present that
she wanted their support for the po-
sition of supervisor of registration.
Though this was Mrs. Turner'S first
appearance in the political arena, she
made a splendid address and convinc-
/ ed her hearers that she was in dead
earnest in her efforts to secure the Of
/ fee.
Then followed the other two candi-
dates for the Office of supervisor of
registration, Messrs. A. J.. Stephens
of Sparr, and S. j. McCully of Fell
lowship.
Mr.. E. H. Hopkins presented his
claims for member of the board OF
county commissioners from the fifth
district, making no promises except
that he would do his duty as he say it
if elected He said he was good
roads advocate and would devote spe-
cial atteution to that feature of the
lcounty's affairs.
! Messrs. Hooker, Hunter. Mayo and
McGahagin, legislative aspirants, then
had their say, telling the voters of the
many things they would do for their
constituency in the state legislature
if given the opportunity Messrs
Hunter and Mayo reviewed their work
in the last session, while Messrs
Hooker and McGahagin, having no re-
cord in this direction, told what they
would try to do if they were favored
with the nomination.
All the speeches were eagerly list
. ened to by the audience, so whatever
the count of votes at Spar may show
, on election day, no one can say thai
he did not have an attentive hearing
During his Introductory remark
Mr.. Payne injected many reminis
, cences of the earlier political contests
il Marion county which were very IN
teresting to. his hearers.
: Mr.. E. L Carney was called on TO
| la speech after the candidates ha'
completed the presentation of thei
claims. He also "reminisced" on tn
!earlier struggles of Marion count,
democracy, and only seemed to strik
2 lone discordant note, and that wa
! when he declared himself opposed =
lcapital removal. He said that he di