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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 245/340

Depression and War
when he was only twenty-five years old. In 1912 he was one of the
early supporters of Woodrow Wilson in Florida and served as
president of the Woodrow Wilson Pre-Convention Club. He was a
delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1924 and 1928,
and served as chairman of the Florida delegation to the Demo­
cratic National Convention in Chicago in 1932. His own political
career prior to becoming governor included three terms as mayor
of Lake City and eight years in the state senate. Cone was
President of the Senate in 1911 and led the fight for the bill
establishing uniform text books for elementary schools throughout
the state—a bill vigorously opposed by book company lobbyists.10
Although Florida was “solidly” in the Democratic Party dur­
ing the 1930’s, considerable political competition existed for state
offices within the party. This was particularly seen in the election
of 1936 which elected Fred Cone governor. Fourteen candidates
were entered in the first primary. Raleigh W. Petteway, a Tampa
attorney and judge, led with 51,705 votes, but this was only 15.7
percent of the total. Cone was second with 46,842 votes. In the
runoff Cone received 184,540 votes while Petteway only garnered
129,150. Cone’s fifty years of experience in the Democratic Party
was regarded as the decisive factor. Cone easily defeated the
Republican E. E. Callaway in the November election by a vote of
253,638 to 59,832, and at the national level Franklin D. Roosevelt
defeated Alf Landon. Columbia countians shared Cone’s victory.
The Columbia High School band played in the inauguration
parade, and J. H. Sandlin of Lake City was one of the official
marshals.11
Cone based his campaign on fiscal conservatism. His own
victory only cost $9,757 and only $557 of that was used for salaries

10Cash, Story of Florida, p. 4; Florida Times-Union, April 24, 1911.
"Merlin G. Cox and J. E. Dovell, Florida From Secession To The Space Age
(Tampa, 1974), p. 191; Tebeau, History of Florida, pp. 407-408; “Official Program,”
Fred P. Cone File.

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