The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-06-03
FROM 1878 TO 1890.


The committee on retrenchment in the
legislature has done good hard work and
much credit is due the members for the
earnestness and persistent labor which
they have brought to bear on this vital
question. Retrenchment is made abso-
lutely necessary by the present state of
the public treasury-the only question as
to which men can differ on this subject
is the point of the sore which worst
needs the knife.
But we think the parallel drawn by the
committee between the Florida of 1878
and the Florida of 1890 is absolutely void
of weight. This state differed at the two
periods selected as utterly as this state now
differs from Georgia or South Carolina.
In 1878 Florida was mainly an agricultural
state, it is now one in which commercial
interests largely predominant. In 1873 it
was a southern state-now it is one Of the
most cosmopolitan in the union. In 1878
the fruit industry was in its intancy-fruit-
growing is now employing large fraction
of all the capital invested within our
limits. In 1878, except in three cities, the
population was rural in its character, and
therefore quiet and orderly. In 1890 large
bodies of the most disorderly laborers are
settled through the lumber districts, at the
| fishing towns, in the construction camps of
the railroads and at the numerous phos.
plate mines.
To show the rate of growth we will
place three paragraphs side by side:
In 1873 there were 537 miles of railroad
but no revenue was drawn therefrom by
the state. The aggregate valuation of all
property assessed in 1873 was $29,
227OO.
In 1884 there were 1,207 miles of railroad
assessed for taxes at valuation of IS 49,
429.57. The aggregate valuation of all
property assessed in 1884 was $50 042,-
655 co.
In 1890 there were 1919 miles of rail-
road assessed for taxes at a valuation Of
$14,719,0O2OO. The aggregate valuation Of
all property assessed in 1890 was $91 983,
1861.
Note that only two items of compari-
son are here taken into consideration. In
| 1878 warrants were issued for 1851, 912-
so.
In 1890 warrants were issued for $780,
600. 35.
Now if these comparisons do not show
that no parallel can be attempted, there
is no lesson in figures. Remember also
that the administration of these largely
increased responsibilities require greater
abilities, more men and more money
than were needed for the smaller business
ask that the postmaster at New York
manage his business with the same cost
/ and same number of assistants that the
office at Tallahassee requires. Where
Governor Moseley needed only quill
pen Governor Drew needed steel one
and Governor Fleming needs typewriter.
Where Florida in 1878 only needed a
sheriff to keep order and assess and collect
. Il
the same county the sheriff requires dozen
deputies and may at any time require the
assistance ola company of militia. The
same comparison runs through every de-
partment of the public business.
The statesman is he who Justly proport-
ions his means 10 his ends. The business
man gets the wealth he cOvets by keeping
each item clean OF waste. by allowing no
rust TO accumulate and no laziness 10 hinder,
by paying promptly and justly and exacting
good service for fair pay. The public bus
mess is only an enlargement of private
concern where honor and patriotism
should be substituted for personal ends,
but where just people should exact only
fair return for the compensation received
and insist on getting that.
Nebraska lately had a case before the
interstate commerce commission involving
millions of dollars to her people. Her
encouragement at salary Of twenty-five
hundred per annum was there confronted
by the attorney of n trans-continental rail-
} way who received a salary of thirty thou
sand per annum. Need we wonder that
} the people lost the case? One
J of the foundation stones on which the
power OF corporations rests is their owner
ship of the best brains in the county, and
they own these because they know it is
economy TO pay well for them. Why cam
not state take lesson from these bonded
business men?