The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-12

+ was lHNltcE ~ lcply, Dut tHc CoullHitlceS
failed to agree as to allotment Of time for
each. Col. Chipley was at Jacksonville,
attending q meeting the Democratic State
Executive Committee but the following
letter from him was read
PENSACOLA Fla, Nov s, 1880
Messrs Thos. W Hutchin son, President J. N. An
drews. Secretary. Invitation Committee
GENTLEMEN-I am in receipt OF your IA
vOr OF 3lst ult., inviting me to be present
and take part in discussion with Senator
w. Call on the subject OF Florida land
grants and kindred topics"
You are evidently not informed that l
once accepted an invitation direct from Mr.
Call. 1t was couched in explicit terms. 1t
was repeated five times over. 1t is true
that the Senator did not have the courage
10 publicly name his man. nor did | accept
it until had evidence in the Senator's own
writing that he referred to me-
Mr.. Calls reply was insOlent and grossly
sanderous and untrutbtul. 1t, therefore,
strikes me that would be wanting in deli.
cacy to attempt to slip into this great mans
presence under the cover of your invitation,
sent to you by the direction of parties un-
known to myself or the public, to be trans
mitted to me.
If the desire Of these manipulators IS to
pay tribute to Senator Call, they have pro-
ceeded properly enough If they desire
discussion between that gentlemen and my
self, they should have conferred with me-
and should have given me the same notice,
and learned my convenience as well as Mr..
Calls, and should not have withheld their
invitation for ten days after the date of Mr.
Calls acceptance, leaving only a week 10
which TO formulate the documentary evl
dence IN support of the charges extending
over ten years service IN the senate OF the
United States.
| intend no reflection upon you, gentle
men, as you both have my respect and
confidence, and this invitation was fur
nished you to be sent to me, the manipula-
tors desiring the weight of your names
You may not know that another invita-
ton was written and signed by another
person several days before your appoint
ment but never delivered to me? | must
decline to pc confined in my discussion to
FLORIDA lands"
; 1t is dead issue.
1t has been settled by decisions of the
Supreme Court, W. Cali dissenting
1t has been decided by three Secretaries
of the Interior, W. Call dissenting.
Congress passed a law 10 adjust the ques-
ton and Senator Call voted for it, but dis
sened again and tried TO repeal it at The
next session, when under the decisions of
Attorney General Garland and Secretary
Lamar the roads were settled with fairly
and not robbed.
Under this adjustment the P. & A. rail-
road re conveyed 10 the Government 5000
acres. that amount having been certified ia
excess OF the roads complete mileage
The Government has recorded the deed
and opened the 5 900 acres to homestead
The State certified the L. S. grant 10 the
railroad just as the Legislature conveyed it
under bill introduced by Hon. s. r. NAL
lOry, and voted for by every member of the
legislature from West Florida. If any
wrong was done the State, it was done bv |
The Legislature that enacted the law-nOt |
by the men who built the railroad.
The question has beeo disposed of, and |
while will at my meetings, when requested, |
discuss it, do not regard 1t as important
| If did, I would have no complaint to
! make of Senator Call about "hls actions"
as he terms it, for he has been ten Years In
The Senate and has not yet passed single
bill bearing on the subject.
What have the raih Dads to complain of
in such record? He has been trying to
enact forfeiting bill for decade and the
people should see, in his failure, his want
of ability. and. consequently, OF influence,
but the railroads ought not to find fault |
repeat that | will never evade the land
question when l come before the people,
but will not allow it to exclude the dis
cussion OF this gentleman's record
1t was not the land question that i'm
PEELED me to accept his challenge but his
ISLANDERS in his S.. Augustine letter, and his
subsequent indehtificaton of myself with
same | did not seek this contest. II was
rudely thrust upon me. | will not permit
Mr.. Call to make railroad matter of nv
light 10 denounce a slander and uncover
The slanderer. But even ii | had entered
this contest as IA railroad man, would my
occupation affect the charges against W.
Call if proved them to be true:
The matters | will discuss, and il | do
not prove the charges, | will sign Il libel
and leave the State, are as follows:
Senator Calls record as d boodler.
His record as IA land grabber.
His record as violaior OF IA poor mans
homestead Justly dear to himself, how
ever humble"
His inefficiency.
His want of influence.
| will show the bills he has introduced in
The u. S. Senate
| will show what they were.
| will show what became of them.
/ will display record absolutely sterile.
| will show that he has left no results on
the records of the State or nation to show
future generations that he ever lived.
l will show that he has never saved
settler his homestead.
will show how he involved the homes
of many poor men.
l will expose the use of his senatorial
influence for his personal benefit
] will demonstrate ignorance and bad
faith in his official capacity.
| will show his repetition of false charges
after he knew they were untrue
will hold up to public scorn his associa-
"lion for money, with corIuptionlsts en-
gagged in project forbidden by public
policy, destructive of industrial interests,
land hurtful to the public morals and in-
"iuriOus 10 The State and the people of the