The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-04-12


sReminescences.'
The Economist seems to take pleasure in repre-
ducine from the columns Of ths old Sentinel
some Of the choicest specimens Of McLins per-
sOnal abuse Of the editor Of me Fr0RDIAS; but
the natural inquiry is, Why dec not that paper
reprint the answers Of the FIonzDIAN? No
msre malignant, vindictive and malicious Radi-
cal ever put pen to paper than hat cowardly
deserter, and no one among all the Radical edi-
tors and writers ever heaped so much Infamous
abuse upon the Democratic portion Of the people
of this State Misrepresentation and falsehood
were his chief weapons and could he have had
his way he would have destroyed all opposition
to Radical rule by fire and sword if necessary.
His chief delight was in attacks upon the FLOR
IDIAAN, samples of which the Economist appears
to take equal delight in republishing. Take IFS
latest "Reminescence the bill providing for
the issue of 81 100000 of bonds ostensibly for
extending the railroad west of Chattahoochee,
the only connection with which the editor of the
FLoRIDIAN had was in printing the bonds as
piece of job Over year ago we had oc-
casion, in controversy with Ex-Governor Reed,
to expose the falsehoods connected with that act
as uttered by McLin and repeated by Reed
and now copied by the Economist Referring 10
statements by the Ex-Governor, the FLoRIDIAN
said
ITO comprehend fully how the man conceals,
fasifes and fabricates we will state that in 1871
| when, as Reed says, the proceeds of the bonds
had been divided among the crowd he emil
merates, land it is pity he does not mention the
JUDGES who shared in the plunder) Littlefeld,
| being at the end of his row, made and executed
a deed OF trust to F. H. Flagg of Tallahassee,
| D. G. Amber. of Jacksonville, and Converse L.
Chase, a contractor, and turned all the railroad
property ow ned or claimed by him over to these
gentlemen Mr. Amber, we believe, did not
accept the trust AT the session of the Legisla
ture in 1872 the remaining trustees sought the
passage of an act authorizing the issue of $4,000,
600 OF bonds to aid in bridging the Apalachicola
river and to extend the road west, and bill for
that purpose was introduced IN tie Senate, and
passed that body on the 10Th of February by a
vote of yeas IL, nays Sail the Western Sena-
tors earnestly favoring its passage. The bill was
the most carefully guarded in its provisions of
any that lad been introduced on the same sub
ject at any previous session. 1t threw all the
restrictions possible around the safety of the
bonds and their proceeds. 1t created com
mission consisting of Messrs. Flagg, Chase and
j. J. Dickson, now Adjutant- General, and pro-
: vided that the bonds should be placed in their
hands and The proceeds applied as the work pro
crossed. II further provided as a protection to
the State land this was inserted on the motion
and at the instance of the able and we may
add, cigildnt Senator, from Hillsborough.1 thai
on a failure to pay the interest on the bonds by
the raToah the road should be sold and tho
State become the purchaser, the title thereto tc
be taken in the name OF the Governor in trust
and the road and IFS property thereafter to be
held in trust a security for the benefit Of the
holders of the bonds issued by the State to tht
company under authority of this act and the ac
or acts to which the act was an amendment, and
the net proceeds arising from the operations an(
traffic of tile road should be exclusively applied
TO the payment of the interest on the bonds and
also to the principal should there be any surplus
to be thus applied "-!Sendte Journdl page 1896
. Session 1872
While the bill was pending in the Senate
Mr. Flagg, one of the commissioners, applied t.
, the FLoRIDIAS Office to get the bonds printed
, but being pressed with work they could not b.
, printed in the time required and the editor wa
induced to take the job to Savannah and have
executed at the Ne1cS office which was done
This, as has been explained more than once, i
all the connection he ever had with the matter
in question simply the doing of piece Of ieb
work Why the Economist, whose editor is pre-
sumed to be familiar with the facts in this case
and who never knew the editor Of this paper Il
be faithless to the best interests of the State il
the fierce struggles which began in 1868 an,
ended in Democratic success in 1877, should ST
persistcntly reprint McLin's scurrity, wit
= never word in refutaton taken from our col
umns, the public will not be slow in understand
ing.