The Ocala banner., 1922-08-11

BILE that there is hardly town of any
Importance in all Florida in which
there are not dozens of men who i'm
agine they are paying a visit to their
future home" every time they go to
the Post Office.
No, there is nothing to this argu-
ment except subtle suggestiveness.
The republican party is fully aware
of the fact its tenure of governmental
control rests entirely with the jury
of Public Opinion, and that public
opinion not only recognizes, but will
enforce, the great principle of major
ity rule. 1t knows that our govern
ment was founded on this great prin-
ciple, and it is, itself, one of the two
great political organizations in this
country whose chief business it is to
see that this principle is kept inyio-
late.
AS matter of fact there is not the
slightest doubt that the negro question
2-Galley-The Independent Republi-
can be eliminated in this state if a
majority of the republicans desire it,
without endangering the regular party
affiliations of any voter That is ex-
actly what political parties are for
to serve the people as a medium
through which to express their will.
The obligation is on the party to serve
the will Of the people, and not on the
people to serve the will of the party.
The people of Florida are too much
inclined to reverse this obligation,
due to the persistent teachings of pol
iticians, but we must get back to the
correct viewpoint, or else see govern
mental affairs continually drift from
bad to worse. We should not be
afraid of disturbing our affiliations
with party leadership, but rather 20
insist that party leadership must not
disturb its affiliations with the voters
Our only problem, therefore, will be
to keep this issue clean, and to see
that it is not tainted by the suspicion
that it is simply an attempt on the
part of one set of politicians to wrest
control from another set. This is the
rock upon which former "agitations, ;"
involving split on questions of party
policy, have failed. But this move
ment, unlike others of this same gen.
eral nature, originated with the rank
and file of the party-with business
men-with men who have never held
public Office or been applicants for
federal appointments-andw we will see
that the issue is kept free from poll
tical entanglements until it is settled
The Independents, therefore, do not
represent any factional element-they
simply comprise the rank and file of
voters who want to see this negro
question settled, so that the entire
state may experience the social, busi-
ness and political advantages it can
never hope to enjoy until this is done
But, aside from the absurdity of the
suggestions of politicians that the
principle of majority rule" might not
be recognized by the national organi-
zation, let us consider this question:
"Of what value is it to the rank and
file of Florida republicans to retain
their party affiliations unless this
negro question is eliminated?" It is
not only of no value to do so, but it
is direct and emphatic injury to ev-
cry self-respecting republican, and to
the business interests of the state at
large, to even attempt to do so. Every
republican knows that so far as having
any voice in either state or national
affairs is concerned, we are as effec-
tually disfranchised,' under existing
conditions, as if we did not have the
right of suffrage at ALL Furthermore.
we know that every republican voter
in this state will continue to be so
disfranchised until the party's negro
policy is renounced. Consequently ev-
cry republican who supports the So
called regular organization, in the
present fight, supports an indefinite
continuation of his own disfranchise-
ment. Will the republicans of this
state decline announcement of policy
which they know disfranchises them,
in order to save few professional
politicians from embarrassment?
What the Independent republicans
want, and all that we want, is a clean,
fair, honest expression on the part of
Florida voters as to whether we
should incorporate into our state plat
form the declaration that I'VE are un-
alterably opposed to the election, or
selection, of any person to public Of
fee, or position of public trust. who
is not a white American citizen, I'm
less and until this is done, it is both