The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-19
Letter From Hon. ". II. Cook. Rsla-
tive tn the New Precinct"
PONuNA. FLA, Nav Il. -.


In your paper under date of April a.}I.
appeared a communication signed Odd
como, in reference To the erantin. Of
new precinct. The author seems To think
he has not been greatly injured, Vet, he
i forever iOwn on snything that looks
ike .'mOnkeying." just what your cor
respondent means by this is hard to tell.
fail to find the word in any of the
standard authorities, Yet il Is quite evt-
dent he intends 10 create the impression
in the minds ~ the public that, although
he has not been greatly hurt, something
las been done that he fee,s he ought 10
have been consulted about. and h. talks
Z minority rule in the democratic party,
and in subsequent letter about Cook
ing" things. and that the member upon
the board of commissioners from their
PENINSULA being elected To represent all
The people. This would indicate that he
IS not quite clear from logical sterd
noint, at least. But if lie is as deeply
interested in the prosperity of Putnam
county IA he would have us believe, he
should give us his name that we may
H., more deeply impressed with his sin
rerety and greatness, and should il prove
al that we might expect. Judging from
the contributions he has already made,
will assure him. a, a member of the
board Of commissioners that We Will only
ha too glad to avail ourSelye' ~ the op-
partunlty to consult him upon all grave
md important matters; fur the board ale
enly human and often err in Judgment,
and il he will only make himself known
that We may have access to that vast
fund ut knowledge, which b. seems To
rnssess. he will not only confer a favor
upon the board by which they will be
able To steer clear Of breakers in future,
hut will he able 10 settle great and most
p.rplexing questions to the satisfaction
If every one, and let me again assure
him such favor would be Il lasting ienc-
tit to mankind. caution him against
undue modes,y in the matterfor he hay
my lived among us for sometime he
may be passed by IN the future as in the
past. That every one, even "Old Como.
who is not familiar with the statutes
relating To- this matter may see that the
hoard uf commissioners assumed no au-
thority which was not already delesatt Il
hv the statutes of the State Of Florida,
| quote the following from Met lelians
Digest, chapter o.. page ~. section -:
The above section shall be - construed
as to empower the county commissions
rrs to change the lines of any election
district mentioned in said section caus.
ing new districts to be formed. provided
such change shall be made six months
previous to- any general election.
Thus il is seen that the statutes
clearly confer the power upon the county
commissioners to establish new voting
districts. and at a meeting of the board
April ID. "A petition from the citizens IN
and around Pomona WAS received pray
Iug tha, better facilities for exercising
the ri sht Of suffrage he granted them 10y
establishing new precinct IN "hicf
the boundaries Of said proposed precincI
were clearly defined and designating
oulton's store, Pomona, as the voting
place. Now. had these petitioners asked
that the voting Place in No. be changed
FROM Como to Pomona, or Tor any othel
change which would interfere with any
right or privilege now enjoyed hy Como
then il would have been clearly the duty
of the board to have postponed action
until Interested parties could have beer
,rarl or had the petitioners been dIvld
cd ~ to where the voting place should
H.. located in the new precinct then !,
hearing should have been granted, but
This was not the case and the board ot
county commissioners thought that the
peti,ioners asked nothing in their petl
ton which they were not clearly tnti
tied to as citizens and it strikes me thai
il sa matter with which "Old como
has nothing TO do and not in good
aste for bin to set himself mp rs
critic criticisng the action Of the boart
If commissioners for performing dnt,
which the laws Of the state enloin upon
them. "Old Como in his last article
attempts tc quote from the road law
also refers toarule Of the board OF com
missioneis rtqnlring petitions for ruuii'
tos IA To Law over one month. Now " W
had examined the law carefully he ~onI'
have seen the act confer Judicial powe'
upon the board as property interests arr
involved. which ia not the ease IN th'
precinct matter. From his last article
quote the following. "llow about thos'
residing in section 4. .. 9, !, am "
township #, range 91E. These sections
were originally u part of Como precinct
aud according to the description ot th'
ne y precinct they are part OF old Como
AMI {, looks very much as il it was de
sired in restrain the citizens OF those soc
tionl from exercising their right t.
vote" Now the facts are there Is not
citizen living in those sections that eve
voted in Como. and If there are any PEE
pie living there ut all they have voted II
precinct No. !. Welaka. and will con
tlnuc to do so, resume. until there is
new precinct established at Bnfial
Bluff. which will be done in The near III
tnre, and this is az well known tn "Dl
Como as to every one else living IN tll
vicinity: but evidently he thinks tina
,our readers are not familiar with til
rnrt. and If he succeeds IN imposing uI
on them. he had accomplished all he d'
sras.
Now would suggest to your rorre'
o,ndept, "Old Como that his futur
communication to the public appear ove
his own signature. and il ! am not NH
taken in his identity. will then lie alb
10 furnish one or two pages from h
pas, history which will clearly illustra'
tbe term monkeving. II ] understan
the sense in which he uses it. and unit
he does so shall give him no furtht
attention through your columns.
W H. CaoE.