The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-04
FLORIDA'S
CAPITAL NEWS
AS / See 1t.
By M. M. SMATHERS


By M. M. SMATHERS |
1t will probably be promptly
denied from several sections of !
South Florida, but it is a grow
ing rumor that Francis Coe, law
yer, author, and candidate for the
United States Senate, has already |
been promised approximately 50,-
900 Republican votes in the first /
primary. 1t seems that the "sev- /
en- wise men" who rule the des-
TIMES of the Republican party in |
Florida promised to register the |
votes as Democrats in the pri- |
maries on the cold blooded as
sumption that $4,000 votes would |
win the nomination. Just how |
we'll the story will 60 over in the |
Cracker counties of the state is |
something that has begun to
worry Coe hackers. It will be |
remembered that Coe announced !
from Paris, when there were |
plenty of well-wishers in Florida !
who would have much rather he |
had waited and made his state !
ment from Smiths fishing camp,
or any backwoods place.
You can put January IA as an
other date to look forward to, for I
unless something goes amiss on
that date Senator William c.
Hodges of Leon County will /
throw his hat into the guberna-
torial ring. 1t will be remem- |
bered that Senator Hodges was
barely nosed out of the second |
primary four years ago by Gov
ernor Fred Cone. He will go to
the post from an inside position
for he is an old campaigner,
widely known, and to his friends
he is Homestead Bilr', a title
given him because of his fight
for the enactment of the present
homestead laws of the state.
Along about the time Senator
Hodges announces, be prepared
to see an increase in the activi-
ties in state politics. The boys
have been waiting for several
things, not least of which was
just what President Roosevelt
was going to say to Congress,
and what he will say at the JEFF
fersonian banquet.
1t may happen before this is
published, but Governor Cone is
to be at the crossroads
of political decisions. After a
meeting which was scheduled to
be held in Fort Lauderdale this
week, it is arranged for him to
say definitely whether he will be
a candidate for the place now
held by Senator Andrews, or to
retire to his banking business and
law practice when the guberna-
torial term expires next Janu-
airy. Reports have been creep
ing into Florida's capitol city for
some time that political leaders
over the state have not yet taken
his trial balloons seriously. A tour
recently made by one of his dis
ciples is said to have influenced
some of the governors friends to
advise that he not enter the cam
paign.
If you have been one of the
who often wondered
was what back of the delay in
a federal judge for
Florida, you were right in your
that Senator Andrews
and Senator Pepper could not
reach a common opinion on a
If you have feeling
that the recent appointment of
Judge w. J. Barker to the posi-
ton settled the matter you were
wrong. The 1owdown on the
whole matter is that the Presi-
dent had to do a little prodding
to get the senior and junior sena-
tors to even agree on Judge /
Barker. Now the story is going
around that Attorney General
is not going to do a
thing about the matter until the
senate convenes and there is
serious question as to whether he
will ok. the selection to Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
Jerry w. Carter, railroad COM
true to predictions in