The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-12-18
THESE CONDITIONS CONFRONT US,

tliNct CIltt wal tls'itttt w bIh ttt VA -NtNl
LEGISLATURE" which, III the main, accofds with
or views We agree with the FLORIplAN THAT
much important legislation is required to make
our statutory laws conform Ia our organic
law More than hat at the session OF 1881 was
consumed in the wraugle over The United states
SenatnrShip, ana very much that should nave
been done then was left unIonc. and what little
was done was 50 hurliedlv, SO loosely and 50
imperectlv done that the State has been inquired
rather than benefited by such legislation No
tahlv among the acts that need revision are the
Il abroad Commission law and General E!ec'lon
law. The Railroad Commission has Slgnally
failed To answer the purpose for which it was
created II therefore should be wiped out OF
existence, and all rates fixed by law, with
heavy penalty for violation. The imperfect and
cumbersome election and registration statute IS
Il reproach To the State, and ought to be repeal.
ed. In lieu thereof we iavOr tax payment
qualification TO vote. This would not
only save to The State the large sum paid
to registration officers and for stationery, ETC.
but i. would add thousands to the State Treas
urv in the way OF revenue from unpaid taxes
We agree with The FLORIDIAN that the State
and National election should b. severed. Snch
course would to a considerable extent, sim
plltv returns etc, and prevent very largely HE
great corruption in trading between can1idatcs
The assessment of real estate in many localities
in Florida, is too small by half, and something
should he done IL remedy This evil There are
too many sneculcS already in the State, and
we don't favor the establishment of any more;
we therefore oppose Il Stale Iari OF Health,
upon economic principles. If. however, lrgjsla
lion must he had on the question of health, we
favor The lesser evil and would accept ihc FLO
RIDIAN S suggestion OF Il SUI geOn General To act
III concert with County B arls of Health.
We hope The Legislature will fully realize the
situation anu act fully up to the measure oi lis
duly on all these questions. From time To time
fl4.( ib,tN
in its opinion nrnmotc the best interests of the
Slate.-F0W White O5yerccr
The above editorial contains several
points that deserve and should receive
consideration, but for the present we will
take up only the Railroad Commission.
Our esteem d contemporary has pub
lished some severe-if not uniust-crit-
cisms upon the Railroad Commission
In this we can not agree with the Ob-
serrer. We think the Commissioners are
more snned against than SHINING The
law is cumbersome and defective, and
the people, at least many ot them who
have complaints that they should file
with the Commission, fail TO do so-fail
to perform duty to themselves btt--they
never fail to condemn the Commission,
without even giving that body an oppor-
tunitv to right their wrongs. The rail
roads always rush up to the Commission
when they want anything, and if the
people would ID likewise, perhaps there
would not tie SO much unjust complain
ing. One rule of the Commission re-
quires that all complaints shall be made
in writing. And here it may be well
enough to state that the Florida Com.
mission has no jurisdiction over ship
ments made from points in this STATE 10
points in o,her States. Such shipments
are claSsel As interstate commerce, and
can be regulated only by the Interstate
Commission. Some persons g to the
Safe Commission, with freight bills in
their hands, in which they claim there
are overchar5es, bat when requested to
file a written statement of the facts, they
refuse. Why is this? Are the people
afraid to make complaints? They should
not be. The Commission was created to
protect the public from overcharg~>-nn-
Just discrimination in both freight and
passenger rat"s-anl if the people will
not file their Complaints, the Commission
is powerlcsS to help them. Simple jus
tice demands that VOu rive the G. )mmiS-