NAPOLEON BONAPARTE BROWARD:Candidate for Governor of Florida,

Autobiography, Platform, Letterand

Short Story of the Steamer ((Three Friends,"And a Filibustering Trip to Cuba*

PART I - by Napoleon Bonaparte Broward

AUTOBIOG RAPHY

I was born on a farm, in DuvalCounty, Florida, April 19,1857. Wewent to Hamilton County in 1861,and remained there until 1867,when we returned to the farm inDuval County.

TRACES OF THE CIVIL WARAT MY OLD HOME.

A great transformation had takenplace. The houses and fences wereall burned; and the great oaks thatstood southeast of the house wereburned on the side next to the fire,and were scarred on the oppositeside by shot and shell from theUnion gunboats. The house and thebattery - which were on the south­east edge of the farm, at the mouthof Cedar Creek - had been firedupon. It was here that torpedoeshad been set by our troops. Theshores were strewn with wh itepine lumber and spruce carlins,which at one time had constitutedthe cabin work of Un ion vessels.

The highlands of the old farmhad grown up in great clusters of

• chinquapin bushes and live oaksaplings, some of them twenty

.~ feet high. The lowlands werecovered with a dense growth oftall grasses and weeds, together withgreat clusters of myrtle and other

shrubs. It was here that we did ourfirst hard work. Father had fencedin the field and built a single penlog house, into which we at oncemoved.

AN HUMBLE STARTAT HOME-MAKING.

Without money to buy eithermules, horses or cattle, we beganto clear away the weeds, bushes andgrass from the heavy ground on themargin of the river. This accom­plished, we turned overthe soil withour hoes. Here we planted Irish andsweet potatoes, sugar cane, beans,English peas, etc. In addition, wehad a garden of cabbage, turnipsbeets, lettuce, asparagus and onions.Th is work was done ch iefly bymother, brother, and myself, thelargest of my sisters doing chores,such as bringing the water, passingmeasures of seeds, etc., whilefather was busy securing for ussomething to eat.

As children we were much en­couraged at hearing our mother tellof the delicious Florida-grown Irishpotatoes, and the luxury of aspara­gus, which none, save the rich,enjoyed. I alone of the children hada faint recollection of how deliciousthe lettuce was, fixed up with creamand sugar, wh ich was raised by usduring the first year of the Civil

War. We planted four sacks of Irishpotatoes, which produced one. Atfirst the English peas were promis­ing and beautiful, but they soonturned yellow and died. The sugarcane, however, bade fair to be asuccess. Brother and I pulled theshucks off a stalk ~about once everyday to see how many joints hadripened, until we had countedseven and eight joints to the stalk.

There was a path near the fence,across wh ich a tree had fallen,thus breaking down the only safe­guard to this promising patch ofsugar cane. The tree had fallenacross the path at such an angle asto turn a drove of hungry cattlefrom the path into the cane patch,and they, in one night, had almostdestroyed ou r fondest hopes. Ima­gine our disappointment. We werenot discouraged, but immediatelywent to work and repaired the fence.

IN QUEST OF HEALTH.

The following year we sufferedfrom chills and fever. Being dosedwith tartar-emetic; a period ofcholagogue followed, bitter enough

*See "Behind the Scenes," insidefront cover.

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to have cured, but it did not.Finally in quest of health, wemoved from the old place to a newone. The change - and the liberaluse of what we had learned was anew cure for fever and ague, towit: quinine - restored to us ourwonted strength again. With the useof a drag seine we caught fish enoughto supply the table. Mother pro­cured a contract from an uncle ofours, byvvhich we earned one centeach for making 1112 x 12 incheswater oak pins to be used forrafting timber. Thus we struggledalong until I attained the age of adozen years, lacking two months, atwhich time our mother passed away.We then moved to the old BrowardHomestead, where an uncle andsome aunts lived. A few monthslater my father died and my auntsmoved to Jacksonville, taking mysi~ters with them.

Brother and I remained on thefarm, accomplishing about as muchgrowing corn and potatoes and car­ing for the hogs as two boys at ourage could be expected to do, in theabsence of any directing hand toaid and encourage them. Each of uspossessed a dog C· Ring" and"Lady"} and a gun. The woodsabounding in deer, turkeys andsquirrels, the hunting of whichfurnished us a profitable andpleasing recreation.

PIONEER DAYS OF MYEARLY BOYHOOD.

Our nearest neighbor lived twomiles distant. At night we would barthe doors, before commencing tocook supper, which frugal mealusually consisted of hominy, peeledsweet potatoes, a piece of pork - allboiled together in the same pot.The supper completed and eaten,we would lean our guns against thewall near the head of the bed, andplace a bowie knife in a crack ofthe log house with in reach. Assoon as the fire had gone out wewere in bed with the quilt securelycovering our heads to preventhearing the doleful sound of the

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screech owl's crying, which thesuperstitious old darkeys had led usto believe was the omen of badfortune.

We remained here for two years,visited occasionally by an uncle.Sometimes, on the Sabbath day, wewalked four miles to visit anotheruncle. On one occasion my brotherand I wished to accompany Mr.Abram Geiger and his family tochurch on the following Sabbath.My uncle's wife had cut out a pairof new Iinen trousers for each ofus. She had completed my brother's,but the illness of one of the ch ildrenprevented the completion of mine.I was determined to wear my newpants when I rode to church thenext Sunday with my little sweet­heart, (Mr. Geiger's daughter) so Isewed the pantaloons myself.

RAFTING LOGS FOR ALIVELIHOOD

When my brother was twelveyears of age, I was fourteen. At thistime we went into a log campowned by an uncle. We raftedlogs for him for a year. At thislabor we both contracted fever andague, and our maternal grand­father took us on quite a journey,from the north to the south side ofthe river, where h is farm andorange grove were situated. Herewe regained our health, and, later,went to work on his farm, for whichservices brother received fifty dollarsa year, and I seventy-five dollars.This was, as intended by him, tobe a great encouragement to us; andwe worked here two summers,attending a country public schoolat Mill Cove during the winter sea­son. Grandfather paid my brother'sboard, while I earned mine choppingwood, building rail fences, etc., forMr. P.P. Lord, a farmer.

A SMALL BOY'S COMPOSITION.

I here insert a compositionwritten a few years ago by one ofMr. Lord's little boys, when request­ed by his teacher, Miss Duval, to

write a composition on the life O'some great man.

"Our teacher told us to writlabout great men. I am going t4write about Mr. N.B. Broward. ~~is a very great man. Last year he rarfor Sheriff and beat Bowden. Wherhe was a little boy he used tlboard with my father. He was poorand had to make h is own way. Novhe is famous. He was a pale faoboy, but now he is a big, fat manable to work. He goes to Cuba an(carries powder and shot and dynemite to the Cubans. His boat icalled The Three Friends. She caloutrun any other boat in the UnitelStates. One time the Spanish boatgot after her and sh e wh ipped thenall. The Span iards are so afraid 0

Mr. Broward and his boat thathey have offered a large reward foher capture. Now The Three Friendis tied up, with two revenue cutterwatching her, but when she wantto go to Cuba she's going. I cou"tell a great many other gOOfthings about Mr. Broward, butmust stop now.

(Signed) P. P. Lord.

ROUSTABOUT ON ASTEAMBOAT.

After remaining with my grancfather two years, I worked onsteamboat for an uncle - CaptaiParsons - first as cook and assistanfireman. As a cook, however,was not a success, and later I servet

on th is steamer as a deckhand an'wheelman. I remained in this selvice during the summer monthand attended public school at Ne\Berlin in the winter, boardinwith the lighthouse keeper, Ca~

tain Summers.

COD FISHING ON THEGRAND BANKS.

From New Berlin, Fla., I went tCape Cod, Mass. I found that ttlfishing season at this port had nobegun, on account of the continueand excessive cold weather. Sno\

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Office of the Board of Election

Commissioners of the City of Jack-

sonville, Duval County, Florida.

I, Charles B. Rogers, Chairman of the Board of Election Commissioners

of the City of Jacksonville, do hereby certify that at a general election

for the election of municipal officers of the City of Jacksonville held in

and for said city on Tuesday, the 18th of June, A. D. 1895, Napoleon

B. Broward received One Hundred and twenty-two (122) votes for the office

of Councilman of Ward Two of said city, and the said Napoleon B. Broward,

being one of the two candidates who received the highest number of votes

for said office, was duly elected to the office of Councilman of Ward Two,

of the City of jacksonville, for the term prescribed by law, beginning at

noon on the 21st day of June, A. D. 1895.

Witness my hand and seal this 19th day of June, A. D. 1895.

Chairman.Attest:

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was on the ground eighteen inchesdeep, and large blocks of ice werelying about the shore. Far fromhome, without money, shelter oremployment, I was confrontedwith the serious problem of how tosustain myself. The sole avenue ofescape was the possibility ofsecuring employment on a schooner- the only vessel in port at the time- wh ich .was about to sai I to someforeign country. Would the captainwant my services or not, was thequestion.

Knowing that only men of themost rugged physique were em­ployed in this business, and fearingthat as I approached the captain Imight be attacked with a coughingspell, as a result of whooping cough,which was contracted at school,and that he would think me con­sumptive, I stepped into a store,took a drink of water to control mycough, walked quickly up toCaptain Newcomb of the schooner"Emma Linwood" and asked, "Cap­tain, do you want to ship a man?"The captain looked at me with thepiercing eye of an X-ray; but withbated breath, I stood the examina­tion, trying all the while to swallowmy Adam's apple in a renewedeffort to keep down the coughingspell, which I feared might comeupon me before the test was over.Thanks to the drink of water, hisanswer was in the affirmative, andI shipped in his schooner for thebanks of New Foundland, whitherI desired to go to engage in thepursuit of cod-fish catching. Herewhile I was clad only in Kentuckyjeans and gingham shirt I keenlyrealized why my Northern ship­mates were clothed in warmestwoolens.

For about two years I followedthe sea on sailing vessels, freight­ing lumber, and on fishing vessels,sailing oyster boats, etc., afterwhich I was employed on varioussteamboats plying the St. JohnsRiver, touching at Palatka, Sanford,Enterprise, Mayport and Jackson­ville. I served one year as a barpilot on the St. Johns bar.

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CLIMBING UP IN LIFE.

At a later date, Captain DavidKemps and I became owners ofsteamboats which were engaged incarrying passengers and mail be­tween Mayport and Palatka. Contin­uing in this business until 1887,I then became interested in opera­ting a wood yard in Jacksonville.In the year 1887, I was appoint­ed Sheriff of Duval County, byGovernor Perry, to fill the unexpir­ed term of H.D. Hollard, deceased.I was again appointed Sheriff in1889, by Governor Fleming, fortwo years. At the expiration of thisterm of office I was a c and idate forthe office of Sheriff, being electedand re-elected repeated Iy until1900, when I was honored by thepeople as a member of the Legisla­ture from Duval County. After theadjournment of the General Assem­bly, I was appointed a member ofthe State Board of Health, byGovernor Jennings, which positionI st i II hoid .

BUSINESS ANDPOLITICAL CAREER

In addition to my political vo­cation, I was engaged during theyear 1890 in the phosphate enter­prise on Black Creek, in ClayCounty, Florida. In 1891 and 1892I was interested in the phosphatemining business at the head of theIchtucknee River, on the line ofSuwannee and Columbia counties.In 1895 I again became connectedwith the steamboat business, havingdesigned the model and moulds ofthe steamer Three Friends, andsuperintended the building of thistug.

In 1895, and for the two succeed­ing years, I served as a member ofthe Jacksonville City Council; and,later, as a Police Commissioner ofthat city.

In 1896 I was captain of thesteamer Three Friends on several ofher trips, while conveying warmaterials to the Cubans.

During the years 1902 and 1903,I was engaged in the wrecking busi-

ness at Key West, my family and Ihaving spent a part of that timevery happily among the hospitable,people of that Island City. ~

At present time I am in thetowing and wrecking business be­tween Jacksonville and Key West ­and sometimes Tampa.

NAPOLEON B. BROWARD

AN OPEN LETTERAS CANDIDATE FOR

GOVERNOR

TO THE DEMOCRATICVOTERS OF FLORIDA:

About two months ago I an­nounced my intention to become acand idate for the Governorsh ip ofFlorida, before the Democratic pri­mary of this year. I realize that tobe the Governor of Florida is anambition worthy of any of her sons.The holder of that position occupiesthe highest pol itical trust withinthe power of her people to bestow,and the man to fill th is positionshould be one whose sole objectis to give to all the people a fair,honest and impartial administrationof the affairs of the State under hisexecutive control. On the otherhand, I am mindful of the factthat the position carries with it agreat responsibil ity.

I am a native of the State ofFlorida, and have always taken aninterest in her progress and pros­perity, and firmly bel ieve that shehas only fairly begun to be thestate which her vast resources willenable her to become. I am familiar,also, with her political history, forthe past quarter of a century, andI stand upon the platform of theDemocratic party, National an<t1~

State. As the campaign progressesit is my hope that I will see thepeople of the different sections of'the State and discuss, as I sha II beready and willing to discuss, anyquestions of Democratic policy or

doctrine, but I now desire to dis­cuss what seemed to me to be themost important issues in thiscampaign.

REPUBLICANS SAILINGUNDER DEMOCRATIC FLAG.

The Hon. William J. Bryan, inhis speech accepting the Democraticnomination for the Presidency de­livered at Indianapolis, Ind., August8th, 1900, said: "Man, the handi­work of God, comes fi rst; money,the handiwork of man, is of inferiorimportance; but upon all the im­portant questions today Republicanlegislation tends to make moneythe master and man the servant."

In Florida there is, practicallyspeaking, no Republican party inname, but as there are always menupon one side or another of publicquestions, there is in reality todaya Republican party in Florida,although it pretends to be a part ofthe Democratic party. This condi­tion of affairs was realized and thepeople warned by the platformadopted by the State Conventionat Jacksonville, in June, 1900,embodied in the twenty-first plankof said platform, wh ich reads asfollows:

PLANK NO. 21FROM STATE PLATFORM.

"We warn the people that an at­tempt is being systematically madeby avowed Republicans, throughthe connivance and co-operationof persons claiming to be Demo­crats, to su bsid ize the press ofFlorida for the purpose of teachingDemocrats false doctrines, and ofkeeping at the front, under the guiseof Democracy, men as leaders ofDemocracy who will be subservientto trust magnates, and who will,under the pretense of conservatism,attempt to instill Republican doc­trines and oppose the principles oftrue Democracy. Such newspapersshould, under no circumstances, begiven any patronage controlled byofficers elected by the Democraticparty. Th is insidious attempt to

corrupt the Democracy through themedium of newspapers claiming tobe Democratic must be thwarted inevery way. Su bserviency to Repu b­lican influences of any sort is in­compatible with true Democracy,and should receive no encourage­ment from Democrats. AvowedRepublicanism is infinitely moretolerable to true Democrats."

ATTEMPT TO DEFEATPRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

At the Democratic Convention,the Democratic party of Floridawas pledged by the twenty-secondplank of its platform to provide bylaw for primary elections for thenomination, in white Democraticprimaries, of all candidates foroffice, both State and County, andUnited States Senators, and to carryout that pledge, a committee wasappointed to draft a primary lawand present it to the Legislature of1901.

I was a member of that Legisla­ture, and I was one of those whocontended for the adoption of theprimary election law as preparedby the committee appointed by theState Convention, but notwith­standing that every member of thatLegislature was elected as a Demo­crat, and was bound by the plat­form, which pledged the honor ofthe party "to the carrying out ofthe same to the full extent thatthe united strength of the party inthe State may render possible,"sufficient influence was brought tobear upon the Legislature of 1901,by men styling themselves Demo­crats, together with some othermembers who objected to some ofthe features of the bill, to compassthe defeat of the bi II presented bythe committee, which providedagainst fraud, bribery and intimida-

tion and other vicious influences,and the primary law finally adoptedwas the most that could be ob­tained at that time. In the primaryelection of 1902, which followed,it was made apparent that the lawwas defective and needed improve­ments, but the people did well in

the Legislature of 1903, on accountof continued opposition, to preventthe repeal of the primary electionlaw then on the books.

WHY I PREFER PRIMARIESTO CONVENTIONS.

It is hardly necessary for me tomake argument in favor of a pri­mary election law against the con­vention system. I am a Democratwho believes in the platform ofmy party, and would, therefore,uphold it until changed by theproper authority, but if argumentsbe needed upon the relative meritsof the primary system as opposedto the convention plan, I should say,briefly, that I consider the primaryelection law the most important ofall our laws, as it places the powerof nominating candidates where itought to be, with the individualvoter. Therefore the cand idate wi IImore likely represent the will of themasses who nominated him, thanthough he were nominated by aconvention composed of a fewdelegates, and as all law should bebut the reflex or expression of theconscience of man and as all poweris inherent in the people, the moreour lawmakers are imbued, with theconscience, heart and will of thepeople, the source of all politicalpower, the purer will be the lawsenacted by them. The nearer tothe spring or fountain head, thepu rer wi II be the water; so alsowith our laws, the closer the makersare to the people that those lawsare made to protect and benefit,the more beneficial will they be.

Under the convention plan thevoters have no choice in namingthe nominee of their party, andsimply are permitted at the generalelection to ratify the nominationsmade by the delegates elected tothe convention. It is true the rail­roads did not try to control thevoters when delegates were elected,but found it much cheaper to con­trol by bribery; furnishing of passes,promises of favors and in numer­ous other ways delegates elected tothose conventions, and when the

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:,1 ,J('I (IS Pilot on thPo 81. Johns Bar Juring good lJe!l£11'ior.

6 / ~~ I_/kUrcf/Z>:ft.Jf/ct~/"(>('I'('/(';-,u.

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....~HM(AO BAOS.. PRINTERS.

delegates got to the conventions,they began to do those thingswhich they considered would be ofbenefit to themselves in a pol iticalway, and not for the benefit of thepeople they were sent to represent.

In other words, under the con-1;.( vention plan, a few men nominated

the ticket and the great massesvoted for it in order to conti nue tobe Democrats, regard less of whetherthe choices made suited them ornot. Under the primary system eachman's vote counts for the candi­date of his choice and the peopleare directly consu Ited, and thus iscarried out the provision in our Billof Rights, that all political poweris inherent in the people.

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MY PLEDGE TOMAINTAIN THE PRIMARY.

I believe that the primary systemis on trial, and that the people, ifthey favor it, need a man as Gover­nor who will pledge them, as Ihere do now, that I will not onlyoppose, to the utmost of my ability,any attempt to repeal the primaryelection law, but that I wi II vetoany such bi II passed by the Legisl a­ture seeking to repeal said primaryelection law, unless it has first beensubmitted to a vote of the peopleand they vote for its repea I; and Ifurther pledge the people that Iwill do my utmost to strengthenand perfect the system and th at Iwill cheerfully approve any billtending in that direction.

AMENDMENTS I WOULDRECOMMEND.

I would recommend these amend­ments, strengthening it as follows:

1 First - Fixing a severe penaltyfor bribery or the miscounting of

I;' votes.Second - Making the calling of a

primary election mandatory withthe State Democratic Executive

Committee instead of optional as itnow is.

As long as the people have theprimary election law, qualify forand vote in the primary, and see thevotes counted correctly, that longwill they elect to office men oftheir choice, thereby controllingtheir own political affairs, and in noother way.

THE RAILROADCOMMISSION LAW.

Another very important questionfor the consideration of the Demo­cratic voters of the State, is thelegislation known as the RailroadCommission Law. The RailroadCommission Law was repealed by

the Legislature of 1891. A commit­tee of merchants and brokers,accompanied by myself, I being thenengaged in the phosphate business,appeared before a legislative com­mittee of the House and Senateof the session of 1893. We urgedupon them the necessity for legisla­tion for the correction of abusesthen existing, among them beingthe rebate system; and the d is­criminating freight rates againstlocalities and individuals, and we soimpressed them with the necessityof legislature for the protection ofindividuals and commerce from rail­road abuses t that the Legislaturetook up the matter of the re-estab­lishment of the Railroad Commis­sion, but the friends of the peoplein the Legislature were defeated bya few votes.

EFFORTS I MADEFOR IT YEARS AGO.

I began the agitation for thepassage of another Railroad Com­mission Law, and, in order to showthat I am not simply talking tocatch votes, I desire to call theattention of the people of Floridato a letter written by me to theFlorida Tirnes-Union, at that time a

Democratic newspaper, on July28th, 1894. Then, together withothers, I induced the Hon. D.U.Fletcher to run for the State Sen­ate on a Railroad Commissionplatform, but we were again over­come by railroad money and theirmanipulations, they, at that time,having with them the Governor andthe Chairman of the State Demo­cratic l;xecutive Committee.

I was among those who persis­tently fought for the Railroad Com­mission Law which was adopted in1897, improved by amendment in1899, and is considered the mosteffective legislation upon that sub-ject enjoyed by any State in theUnion. The Democratic platform of1900 endorsed this Railroad Com­mission, and yet at every session ofthe Legislature there are menclaiming to be Democrats trying toweaken, destroy and repeal this law.

BENEFITS OF THERAILROAD COMMISSION.

It is the only court in this Stateto which a citizen of the State,whether rich or poor, can apply andget rei ief without any cost to hi m­self. The power is ample and thegentlemen who have held theposition of Railroad Commissionerssince the passage of the newlaw in 1897, have always shownthemselves willing and anxious toadjust any matters within theircontro I.

The passenger rates have beenreduced from four and five centsper mile on the main lines, to threecents per mile, the freight rates onstaples have been very much re­duced as have also the rates onvegetables and oranges, to thegreat benefit of the people, andrecently, the matter having beenbrought to the attention of theCommission that the railroads ofthe State are discriminating against

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Florida ports in favor of portsbeyond the limits of the State, aphosphate rate of one cent per tonper mile has been ordered put intoeffect. It has been estimated thatthe saving to phosphate shippersalone by this will amount toTWO HUNDRED THOUSANDDOLLARS PER ANNUM, enoughto pay the maximum expensesallowed to the Railroad Commis­sion for over th irteen years.

The fact that the rail road com­panies have submitted to thesereductions shows that they realizedthe justice done, and further showsthat for all the years when we werewithout a commission they weretaking that much more money outof the earnings of the people of theState than they were justly entitledto receive.

PERSONAL AND PROPERTYRIGHTS ENTITLED TO

PROTECTION.

I am in favor of the honestacquisition of wealth and desireto encourage industry, econonlYand thrift. I believe in the maxim ofequal rights to all and specialprivileges to none, and that propertyrights are more secure when humanrights are respected; yet it is a factthat the railroad companies, at everysession of the Legislature and menunder their control, make diligentefforts to repeal the Railroad Com­mission Law, and this is not donefrom any belief on thei r part thattheir rights are invaded, or thatthey do not get justice from theCommission.

It is interesting to note that thefirst litigated case arising from anorder of the Railroad Commissionwas by one railroad companyagainst the Jacksonville TerminalCompany to compel the recognitionof its rights. It is only when theydesire to do injustice that thisbranch of the State Government isobjectionable to them.

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ANOTHER RECOMMENDATIONAND PLEDGE.

In order that such attempts maybe futile, if elected Governor, Ishall recommend and urge the Rail­road Commission be made a con­stitutional part of the State Govern­ment, just as the Supreme Court,the Circuit Courts and otherbranches of the Government noware. If that were done the Commis­sion could not be abolished exceptby a constitutional amendmentadopted by a vote of the people,and if I am elected Governor, Ipledge the people of Florida thatI will veto any bill that seeks toweaken or repeal this law, unless itis fi rst su bm itted to a vote of thepeople and they vote for its repeal.

WHY I BECAME A CANDIDATE.

My belief in these importantpublic measures is my reason forbecoming a candidate for theoffice of Governor, and it wasbecause I believed that they were indanger of repeal that I announcedmy candidacy.

Against the private character ofthe other gentlemen who haveannounced their candidacy for thisposition I have no word of criticismor censure, but every man's publicand political record is a propersubject of comment whenever heappears before the people for thei rsuffrage.

CORPORATE INTERESTSSOLID FOR MR. DAVIS.

These corporate interests wh ichhave so persistently fought thePrimary Election and RailroadCommission Laws, through theirnewspaper, the Times Union, aresupporting the Hon. R.W. Davisfor the Governorship, as are alsothe other newspapers that arecontrolled in their interests, amongwhich are the Miami Metropolis,the West Palm Beach News, the St.Augustine Evening Record, the

White Springs Herald and a doz!or more other newspapers contnled by the rai Iroads and they ainducing many other newspapethrough the State to fall into Iii<:for their candidate.

Believing, also, that they",)elect, if they can, a majority!the members of the Legislaturesympathy with them politicallthat they may be able to cont,them, and realizing the great deger that we are always subjectedfrom the latter sou rce, as the CI

porations elect many of their agerand attorneys to the Legislatuand knowing that numbers of psons in addition thereto are usuaelected members of the Legisture, who are of that colorhform of politics that may meanything, some induced by perSlsion, some by free passes, and sorby other means or favors, I cccluded that the people of Floritshould be put on their guardgetting some one to become thcandidate for the Governorshwho would protect the peoplefar as it would be in his powerdo so.

Many people, including tnysetried industriously to persuadebecome a candidate for Governsome one of the many whomthought could and would defithe issues, and whom we believwould make an active campai~

but failing in this, it was concludthat I should make the effahence my cand idacy.

WHY MR. DAVIS WON'T DO

At the time of becoming a cdidate, it appeared to me that I

less the voters were aroused t~

realization of the situation, the HIR.W. Davis would probably ~

nominated and elected toposition, and I considered then,I do now, that while Mr. Davis

heart is in favor of legislation bene­ficial to the people, as distinguishedfrom private and corporate interests,yet I believe that his long associa-

~ tions and close alliance with menRepublican in fact, and Democraticonly in name, would control hisactions shou Id he be chosen as you rGovernor.

I asked of him a pledge that hewould not, if he were elected Gov­ernor allow, if in his power to pre­vent, the repeal of either the Pri­mary Election Law or the Rail­road Commission Law, and hisreply to the effect that I cou Idtell my friends PRIVATELY thathe would support and defend thesemeasures, did not seem to me tobe the kind of a declaration a candi­date should make upon questionsof such vital interest to the people.There should be no secrets concern­ing such measures kept by a candi­date from his constituency. It wasonly after I had made th is requestof Mr. Davis, telling him at the timethat I made it that I wanted to knowhis position on these measures,

that I decided that Mr. Davis, whohad been so long in public life, wasnot the proper man for Governor.

its adjournment, he left the countythat had so honored him, and loca­ted at Palatka, the headquarters ofthe Florida Southern Railroad Co.,to be the general counsel of thatcompany under the presidency ofSherman Conant.

CORPORATION CANDIDATEFOR GOVERNOR IN 1888.

He appeared at the St. AugustineDemocratic State Convention, threeyears after as the pronouncedchoice for Governor of the landgrant railroads of the State, whichhad obtained land grants aggre­gating many millions of acres of theState's best lands. The land soughtto be obtained as bonuses for the

building of these railroads were invalue sufficient to have paid fortheir construction by the State, andwould have left the State as abso­lute owner. I remember that aspecial train load of his shouterswere brought to that convention,but that fact injured his chances.

ALWAYS FAITHFUL TOTHE RAI LROADS.

He subsequently appeared beforethe Trustees of the Internal Im­provement Fund as counsel for therailroads and obtained for them largeamounts of land. From that time,until his election to Congress hewas never out of their employ, andever their faithful attorney, appear­ing one day (I am reliably informed)in Tallahassee before one StateBoard to urge the conveyance oflands to the railroads on the groundsthat the railroad had cost the stock­holders a vast amount of money

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MR. DAVIS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

NAPOLEON B. BROWARDMAY RUN FOR GOVERNOR.

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It Is Now Thought That He Will Soon Make anAnnouncement.

I heard him give his life's historyto the voters, and I was struck withthe peculiar obligations he wouldbe under to the corporations inthe event of his election. Accordingto his own biography, he came tothis State and located in GreenCove Springs, in Clay County. Hewas elected a member of the Legis­lature from Clay County, and waschosen Speaker of the House of

,- Representatives for the Legislativesession of 1885. He appointed the

e House committees of that session.During that session of the Legisla­ture he so impressed himself uponthe representatives of the RailroadCorporations that immediately after

The indicrrtions are that Napoleon B.Broward will en ter the gubernatorial race.

One cf the closest friends of l\rIr. Brow­ard informed a l\letropolis reporter yes­terday -that considerable pressure was be­ing brought to bear on him to en tel' therace, and that he felt satisfied tl).at hewould announce hilnsclf for the positionwithin a Jshort while.

1\1r. Broward has been moving a bout th,eState quite lively lately, and it may bethat hf> is feeling the public pulse.

Br'oward has no superior as a caIn­paigner. He ig one of the t'wool hatboys," and \\'hen he tak~s to the woodshe usually does most effecti "e ·work. lIeis not one of the high-falutin, spreadeagle kind of orators, but he is an enter­taining talker on the st'ttmp. Browatd isa Florida "Cracker" and several news11a­p.ers are thro~:lng bouquGts at hin1- The

Tampa Herald, one of his st~ong sup..porters, in its issue of yesterday says:

"The intimation that Hon. N. B. Brow..ard ~vill yet enter the gubernatorial racecontinue;:.; to create much stirring inter­E:st throughout the State. 1\11'. Browardis a ~trong, forcible m~Ul and is we'll andfavor~{bly known in all sections of theSta teo This fact makes talk of his ~ can­didacy of the d(>epest moment. ~ew menpos£ess his ability and qualifications forcampaigning, toget!-;cr with the vcrybestof executive and husiness abilitY, From}{ey ,Yest to the GcurgiH line th~re is astrong pI'lt'ssure being brought to bearupon him to ent~r th~ race, and muchinterest will be manifested until he givesa definite answer, one 'way or q.noth~·~r.

::\'11'. Broward it would appe~r, stUl 1'e:­mains a cl'Lwntity that must be reckonedwith. if publIc sf~ntimpnt counts for any­thing, and it gcner:J.l1y doC'.s in a State~anlpaign."

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and were very valuable, and laterthe same day, appeared beforeanother Board in the same Capitolbuilding to urge a reduction of thetax assessments on the ground thatthe railroad was not so very valuableafter all.

PLEASED THE CORPORATIONSAS CONGRESSMAN.

He was elected to Congress in1896, and has served there eversince. At least one CongressionalConvention specifically instructedhim to work for the passage of anact giving to the Inter-State Com­merce Commission power to controlinter-state freight rates and passen­ger fares, but if he has ever intro­duced a bi II, or made a speech, orbeen in any way active in advancingthis measure so much antagonizedby the great railroad corporationsof this country, I have never heardof it. He at least has not antagonizedthem enough to prevent themfrom furnishing him with annualfree passes, on which he rides free,while drawing from the UnitedStates Treasury twenty cents permile for traveling between Palatkaand Washington.

A PERTINENT QUESTION.

Mr. Davis says that he resignedhis position as counsel for the rail-

roads, when he was elected to Con­gress. Why then does he still receivefree annual passes from the rail­roads? Is it for legal services, oris it because he is a member ofCongress? If only as a Congressman,then what consideration does hegive them as a Congressman?

The Hon. Charles ~J1. Cooper,whom Dr. Davis succeeded in Con­gress, was, during his whole careerin Congress, very active in endeavor­ing to give the people relief fromthe burdens of the exorbitantfreight rates on their productsshipped to Northern markets, and heurged actively the passage of an act

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of Congress giving the Inter-StateCommerce Commission power tofix rates on inter-state sh ipments.As a result, he was never tendereda pass over any railroad during hisCongressional career. The congress­man who is true to the interestsof the people is never put underobi igations for passes.

And so with Hon. Stephen R.Mallory, one of Florida's UnitedStates Senators. Although threat­ened with political oblivion for hisactivity in securing the establish­ment of the Inter-State CommerceCommission, when a member ofCongress some years ago, he has everkept aloof from improper rail­road influences, and is todayknown throughout the length andbreadth of this land as one memberof the United States Congress whohas never made use of a railroadpass during his long public careeras a faithfu I servant of the people.

SOME MORE PERTINENTQUESTIONS.

The people of this State haveexpressed in their Constitution theiropinion that a Governor or a mem­ber of the Legislature should not beunder obligations to railroads forfree passes. Do the people believethat it is improper for a Governorand members of the Legislature toride on free passes, but that it isproper for a member of Congress toride on free passes over the State,making has canvass for Governor?

The State Constitution proh ibitsyour Governor from putting him­self under obligations for free pas­ses, but this member of Congress,as a candidate for Governor, iscontinually putting himself underobi igation for free transportation tothe very railroad companies whichare now suing the Trustees of theInternal Improvement Fund, ofwhich board, if elected Governor,he will be chairman, to obtain fromthe State millions of acres of lands,deeds to which are now refused bythat Board on the ground that

the corporations are not legalentitled to the lands.

And there is now in the StaTreasury, to the credit of ~

Internal Improvement FUlk$318,505.00, the proceeds of sa'of lands claimed by those corpOItions. Those corporations claim t~

the Board of Trustees, of which tiGovernor is Chairman, should PIover to them all the moneys arisiwfrom the sales of lands, amounbto $318,505.00.

Do the people believe that ~

Davis will be unhamperedobi igations for free passes?

A PROBLEM IN MATHEMATI(

Again, Mr. Davis announamore than two years in advanthat he would not be a candidfor election to Congress in 19He gave as h is reason that he conot afford the financial sacrificeremain in Congress, where he ~

a salary of $5,000.00 per anmwith twenty cents per miletraveling between Palatka and Wtington on free passes, and an oprtunity to practice law on the Sf

which he has always done at gfcompensation.

He, however, promptlynounced himself as a candidateGovernor at $3,500.00 per anmwhere he will have to includeh is oath of office the proposi1that he, for four years, will (riding on free passes. He willno mileage for traveling tofrom Tallahassee. He cannot ctinue to practice law. Unlessexpects at the end of h is ternGovernor to re-enter the servic~

the corporations at a very I~

salary, even larger than heafter h is career as Speaker oflFlorida Legislature, can he ex~1'

why he is too poor to remairCongress at $5,000 per year,perqu isites, but rich enough to'Governor at $3,500.00 a yearno perquisites.

THE PEOPLE CAN CHOO-SE.

The more I considered thesethings, the more I became con­vinced that the people of Floridacould not afford to force Mr.Davis to give up $5,000.00 perannum, twenty cents per miletraveling expenses and free passeseverywhere, and a lucrative lawpractice, to serve them as Governorat $3,500.00 per year - andnothing else. And yet the people ofFlorida know that Mr. Davis' bestfriends and cl ients have ever beenthe railroads of the State, and thatif he were forced to serve thepeople four years faithfully asGovernor, and should fail as Gover­nor to prove the friend of thecorporations that have so long andso powerfully been h is friend, theywould never again employ him inany capacity, so I decided myselfto become a candidate and give thepeople an opportunity to elect aGovernor who has never allowedhimself to be put under obligationsto the land grant corporations ofthis State, and who will not behampered, as Chairman of the Boardof Trustees of the Internal Improve­ment Fund, in voting againstgiving away the State's lands, or inadjusting their claims to the moneynow in the State Treasury.

WOLVES INSHEEP'S CLOTHING.

The Florida Times Union and theother papers in this State con­trolled by the Repubican corpora­tions, announce that Mr. Davis isthe "people's candidate" for Gover­nor, and style him "Our Bob,"and, yet, these are the papers thatin almost every issue containdenunciations of life-long Demo­crats and National and State plat­forms of the Democratic party, andthey are the papers referred to bythe twenty-first plank in the Demo­cratic State platform of 1900. They

are like the Republican who said hehad too much sense to be a Republi­can in a Democratic State. Theirvoice is Jacob's voice, but theirhands are "the hands of Esau,"but they never lose an opportunityto sing the praises of Mr. Davis norto vilify and malign myself and theother candidates for th is office.

MR. DAVIS' OBLIGATIONS.

Mr. Davis travels about overthe State with his pockets full ofpasses, and supported by all the realRepublican, but n.ominally Demo­cratic, newspapers in the State. Doyou want a man as Governor whohad extended to him these favorsby the interests opposed to thePrimary Election Law and the Rail­road Commission Law, and whomay justly be said to be theirattorney and agent? If it is so im­portant to these interests to fi II ou rlegislative bodies with their agentsand attorneys, both National andState - these interests who havetheir agents always present at theState Capitols to take care of thebusiness of their employers - whyis it not a good idea for the people,who are never present at the StateCapitol, but are always absent, toelect as their representative a manupon whom there are no suchclaims, who has never been support­ed by these influences. who hasalways had to fight against them inbusiness and political life?

WHY THESE FAVORSARE GRANTED.

Are not these favors intended toinfluence men in official positions?There are more ways of influenc­ing and controlling men than by thedirect use of money. The successfulsupport in the election of a candi­date by these influences is enoughto make him feel under obligationsto them. I quote from a letter

written by an attorney of theSanta Fe Railroad to a member ofthe III inois Legislature:

"Your letter of the 22nd toPresident Ripley, requesting an an­nual over the railroad of this com­pany, has been referred to me. Acouple of years ago, after you hadbeen furnished with an annual overthis line, you voted against a billin which you knew this companyto be directly interested. Do youknow 6f any particular reason,therefore, why we should favor youwith an annual th is year?"

These passes are not given topu blic officials as compliments, butare given for favors rendered or tobe rendered. It is all.hire and salary.

Governor LaFollette, of Wiscon­sin, in his speech on "Good Govern­ment," delivered at the Old SettlersAssociation, at Keneshaw, Wis.,Aug. 10, 1903, quoted from aletter written by a United StatesSenator th is paragraph:

"It is expecting too much ofhuman nature that a Senatorwhose every association is with thegreat railroad corporations, andwhose political lives depend largelyupon them, should, in good faith,approve a measure that would,to an extent, make railroads a ser­vant to the people and to be sub­ject to the Commission (meaningthe Inter-State Commerce Commis­sion) when a question of rates israised. The Senate Committee is bya large majority, men who bearthose relations to railroads."

RAILROADS ENTITLEDTO FAIR TREATMENT.

I am in favor of the construc­tion of railroads and other transpor­tation lines, and believe that weshould cheerfully pay transporta­tion rates high enough to insurethem reasonable dividends on theircapital actually invested; that theyshould receive at the hands of ourLegislature fair treatment in the

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protection of their property rights.I am glad to have the officers ofrailroads and their employees parti­cipate in all our political affairs, asindividuals, and have each manvote for the man of his choice, butI am unalterably opposed to corpor­ations in politics.

CORPORATIONS KNOWTHEIR SERVANTS.

If your Governor is true to thepeople he cannot be unfair to therailroads, because the people areinterested in the protection ofrailroad and all other property;but it has been demonstrated toooften before this, in the repeal ofthe former Railroad CommissionLaw, and in other matters, that whencorporate interests get control of aGovernment they use it to theirown advantage and to the detri­ment of the people. The people aresometimes mistaken and deceivedin a man they have supported forpubnc office, but the railroad andcorporate interests select a manthey know they can control, andare never deceived in such matters.

MR. MAYS'LEG ISLATIVE RECORD.

Another candidate for the Gover­norship, Hon. D.H. Mays, has thisrecord as a legislator: In 1891,when elected with two other leg­islators from Jefferson County (thepeople of that county favoring there-election of Senator Call to theUnited States Senate) Mr. Maysvoted once for Senator Call, thenpermitted the railroad forces to usehis name as a candidate, to preventSenator Call's election. He contin­ued to do this for several weeks,until Senator Call was elected with­out his vote, although his fellow­members of the House and Senatefrom Jefferson County refused to

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join him, but consistently votedas the people desired them to - forthe re-election of Senator Call.

Mr. Mays was also a member ofthe Legislature, and elected Speakerof the House in 1897. The Demo­cratic voters of Jefferson Countystill favored the re-election ofSenator Call to another term inthe United States Senate, but Mr.Mays did not vote for Senator Call,but for a gentleman who was theVice-President of the Louisville andNashville Railroad. He continuedto vote for him against Hon. J.N.C.Stockton and Hon. S. R. Mallory,both of whom were candidates ofthe people - and in spite of thefact that the other member of theHouse and Senate from his countyrefused to vote with him for therailroad candidate.

We cannot have a Government"of the people, by the people, forthe people," if pu bl ic officers actas Mr. Mays did in both of theseinstances. We will have instead aGovernment of our officers, by ourofficers, for our officers.

PUBLIC SCHOOLSAND COLLEGES.

I am mindful of the fact that agood education is the most valuableheritage that we will be able to leaveto our children; therefore I believein a longer school term for thechildren attending our free schools,and favor Iiberal appropriations forour colleges.

CIVIL WAR PENSIONS.

The patriotic service and self­sacrifice of our soldiers and sailorsin the Civil War, should guaranteeto the deserving needy ones, or theirwidows, such reasonable pensionsas an appreciative people are everready to pay.

STATE TROOPS ANDNAVAL MILITIA.

The manifest patriotism of ourFlorida State Troops and Floridat

,

Naval Militia should be encouraged~by the most liberal support com·mensurate with a reasonably econo\mical administration of our State!Government.

GOOD PUBLIC ROADS.

I favor the passage of such lawsas will best tend to the improvementof our system of public roads,hard surface or otherwise, as maybe most practicable. As automobilescost Iittle more now than a goodhorse and buggy, or horse andwagon, it is to be hoped that ourpeople in the country, will, in thenear future, find it easier to coverdistances to the school houses, andmake near neighbors, in point oftime, even of those living manymiles apart.

IN CONCLUSION.

It has occurred to me that someof our people may think that mycriticisms are too severe. But to you,fellow citizens, I will say that youcannot regret more than I do theconditions that make these criti·cisms necessary; but I am impelledto use plain language, feeling,as I do, that the man who is tootimid to put the people on noticeof impending danger, even at therisk of momentarily appearingharsh, would be too timid to agogressively meet and combat suchdangers, once he is elected to thehigh position of your Governor.

If I am elected Governor, I pro­mise you that I will be the Gover·nor for the whole people an~ '1enforce the laws protecting thehuman and property rights of all~

alike. ~

Respectfu Ily su bm itted to theDemocratic People of Florida.

NAPOLEON B. BROWARD