The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-06-13
GOV. FL EMZNG' rs WISE VETO.

GOT FL EMZNGS WISE VETO.
The Times Union, during the past sew
eral days, has been harping on one string
"a string strung up to the highest ten
sion Of falsehood. That wheezy organ OF
corrupt clique has used vile and insult
ing language in commenting upon Gov
Jennings veto of the Jacksonville bill
a bill, with its rider" attachment,
that would have placed the city govern.
ment Of Jacksonville into the hands OF
the corrupt clique, to have and to hold
until they tired of it.
The Times-Union charges that Gov
Fleming vetoed the bill because This
power of appointment of city councilmen
is by the bill limited by requirement OF
confirmation by the senate" That
charge is deliberate falsehood, and in
proof that it is, is the well-known fact
that Gov. Fleming has approved the con-
firmation by the senate Of councilmen of
other municipalities-notably Pensacola.
The Objectionable feature. Of the bill lies
in the rider" which was sandWiched into
II alter it left the hands of those who pre-
pared and approved it in Jacksonville.
This rider" would have given the council
power, in the event that the senate did not
confirm all the appointees, to elect whom
ever majority of their number saw fit 10
fill the vacancies. This, as Gov Fleming
says in his veto, would have been "fraught
with danger to the interests OF the CITY,"
1t would have placed in the hands of a
schemng clique power t. chose others of
their own clan to act with them. -.
AS evidence tina: there was danger, the
FLoRIDIAN quotes from the Standard of
June TO-
"On the last day of the session Senator
Summers approached some of the senators
and told them that the members Of the
city council would be sent in for confir.
nation, and that his purpose was to reject
five OF the councilmen, thus giving into
The hands of the clique without using the
term) the metropolis of the state"
This danger was evidently foreseen by
Governor Fleming, for he says in his
veto:
eft OILY one individual or a minority
should be confirmed, such individual or
IN 4jority of such minority would pro-
vide the city government for two years;
but if no appointment should be con-
firmed by the time Of the adjournment of
the senate, there would be no qualified
councilmen and no authority to make an
appointment until the convening of the
next senate, and, for that time, the city
of Jacksonville would be without coun-
Gil. If the bill took away the appointing
power from the executive and relegated
to the people the right to elect their
council, whether or not might consider
it for the best interest of the city, l
would interpose no objection thereto, but
to practically take away the appointing
power of the executive and place it in
the hands Of an uncertain number Of the
council to fill vacancies, with the posi-
bility Of an absolute failure of council,
appears to me t" be fraught with danger
to the interests Of the city, without the
sanction of the constitution and at vari.
ance with the proper functions Of the
legislative BODY OF the CITY,"
The Objectionable section of the bill was
a direct insult to Governor Fleming, and
doubtless the same hand that guided the
pen which framed that obnoxious section
is the self same one that has been dash
ing off the damnable insults to Florida's
chief executive through the editorial col
umns of the Times-Union.
But, thank God, Florida has a governor
whose backbone is as stiff as q poker il
the cause of right and justice. He woult
not allow the contemplate clique which
hides behind the Times.U Union to guide hi
footsteps in their unhallowed paths, there
fore they hate him.
Jacksonville and all Florida owe Cover
nor Fleming heavy debt for crushing tn
shell that covered the clique's unholy de
sign. Right has conquered, the atmos
phere of the city of Jacksonville has bee
purified, and clique domination has bee
dealt death blow. -