The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-11-20
PALATKA, FLA, NOV. 20, 1886.
Persecution ="

There has been much depreciation OF
our persistent exposure of the misdeeds
of the Sheriff, by those who think that
Individual, even If guilty, has been
hardly used. We answer that we at
tack wrong triumphant and not wrong
repentei of or atoLed for, that his
guilt is not only susceptible of easy
proof, but has been proved repeatedly;
He has con feSsed that he took ont Of the
county treasury money earned by others:
that out Of the county jail he released
prisoners to do lrork for lrlich lie ctGTQ-
ed the county and took pay; that, more
orer, trItHe these prisoners tcere at large,
earning money for himself, he charged
the comfy for their keep as if they had
been in all.
Now we make bold TO say that no
member of the Grand Jury, just ad-
iourned, had the least doubt as to the
truth of these charges. The evidence
was so convincingly presented by Messrs.
Cook, Barker and Harvey, of the County.
Board, that the jury was satisfied and
did not send for the prisoners who had
been so released and employed by the
Sheriff. Ii any one of that body can
say he entertains a doubt as to the truth
of the evidence on this point, we shall
be glad to hear from him. We claim TO
keep no mans conscience, but If the
members of that Grand Jury were not
satisfied with the proof they should have
questioned the witnesses whose names
were given them by the State; if salts
fled, they should not have excused the
Sheriff. In this opinion we believe the
people of Putnam county viii! Join with
us. We invoke the judgment of that
great tribunal whose verdicts are more
weighty and effective than those of
courts and juries.
The jaiIer is found guilty of gross reg
ligence," whereby nearly a score of har-
dened criminals were turned loose upon
the public! Yet no punishment is melted
out to linn or the principal under whose
instructions he acted, and he is still
holding the same office, in the discharge
OF whose duties he has been found
grossly Negligent.
Under these circumstauC let all
honor be given to the small minority
which steadily refused to vote for such
n verdict, 1t will not be many days be
fore the people of the county will know
how the vote stood on this important
matter, as well as the citizens of Palatka
did before the failure to indict was pub
lished in court, and then the whole case
will be tried anew by the tribunal of
public opinion.
As citizens we can endure wrong, he
cause martyrs are always vindicated in
the end, but as Democrats we should
correct il because we are part and parcel
of the infiiction. Florida has boon Demo-
cratic because Republican victory meant
the yulc of the negro. The negro is now
eliminated from politics ard the State
Will remain in our hands only while we
represent economy, honesty and Justice
in public affairs. Ii the Sheriff has the
right to release the prisoners sentenced
by our courts, what a mighty man is he,
II he can pocket money earned by the
prisoners he releases how fat is his office.
II the party endorses such wrongs how
bigoted are we. Ii it can survive such
infii"tion how low is public morality
with US, How devoted are the friends
who, regardless of self, stand up for 4
man who abaudons his cause by con
fession. How pit; full is the plea that a
SIN should be condoned because it has
been often committed, Where is the
virtuous Indignation which denounced
throughout whole county the same
conduct in his predecessor which he now
cites as 4 precedent.