The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-06-15
TBE REFORM MEETING
The Speakers CRY Out for Railroad
Commission.


rell and Fletcher, were absent because
the only notification they had that
! their pre- sence was desired, were the
notices they had seen in the papers.
By special requ st Editor Frank T..
,, Harris, of the Banner, called the
meeting together in the court house
at II o'clock Saturday, and introduced
General Bullo ck, who explained his
connection with the reform move
ment and the motives that acsuated
him in the matter.
Replying to the unjust attacks made
on him and the movement, said no
special persons were designated, aud
he did not know who he would meet,
that the meeting was an omen one,
aud the parceling out of oflic S was
never thought of or mentioned, and
the only thing considered wss the
promises made by the democratic
party in their Tampa platform, which
remained unredeemed, and the one
the produces of the state were most
largely intert sted in, railroad COM
mission. The facts having been care
fully compiled and embodied in the
reformers' address, he thought them
all over carefully at his home, and rec
ognizing the facts as set forth, signed
them, and for that act had no apollo
gies to make, because they were in the
inter, st Of the masses.
His speech, which was a good one,
and attentively listened to With APP
proval, was IN substance what he said
about railroads, their exhorbitant and
discriminating charge, before the
fruit and vegetable growers meeting
in February in this city. He insisted
that there should be a railroad COM
mission, based on fair and equitable
principles, and that the railroads
should be represented OH that board
General Bullock then introduced
Major st. Clair-Abrams, of Tavares,
one of the best informed, most con-
vincing and brilliant lawyers and ora
tors of Florida, whose comprehensive
mind was filled with facts and figures,
whose eloquent tongue would electrify
the minds of his hearers.
With facetious reference to the
facts that the gallant Majors enc mics
den unced him as trascaln and that
the 'rogues1 having fallen out, honest
men would hear the truth.
Major Abrams was cordially received
and prefaced his remarks by sly ing
that he might be rascal so his en-
emies declared, but if he was he had
the courage of his convictions, and
dared tell the truth, as he had learned
them by former association with his
enemies, who Were managers of rail-
roads, and would convince his hearers
that he was no coward or fool.
He said he had been a resident of
Florida twenty years; that in 1876 he
proposed TO Governor Bloxham to
tai all the lands belonging to the
state, bond them, and with the money
build three to four thousand miles OF
railroad over this state, and lease them
to parties to operate. If this had been
done we would not to day be con-
fronted with the fact that the railroad
monopoly of the commonwealth
owned all the roads, the land and The
people as well.
He said the railroad system of the
state cost $30,00000 1t was bonded
for $9S,000,00O, and on this watered
, stock the producers of the state are
paying blood money.
He said he knew something of the
cost of Fuilding railroads in the state,
of Florida, as he had constructed
several hundred miles, and was to-day
paying interest on $4,000 of bonds;
that he could replace every mile of the
F. G. and p, including stations, ETC.,
etc., bettering same for $4,000 a mile,
and make net profit of 81 800 to
s., 900 mile, yet their bonded indebt-
edness was $50, 900 mile.
The Jacksonville, Tampa and Key
West road was originally bonded for
$4,000 mile, but it had been in
creased to $4,000. He then told of
the determinations in carrying fruit
and vegetables by the different roads.
When their attention was called to
same admitted the fact but said as
soon as the volume Of shipment In
| creased the rates would be lowered,
! but they raised them, though told that
the original rates made profit for the
line.
He admitted he was prejudiced
against the f. G. and p, but showed
he had good reasons to be, because OF
the treatment received at their hands.
While the Jacksonville, Tampa and
Key West system was an improve.
ment on the Florida Central and PEN
insular, the methods employed in ex-
acting rates from the p oducers were
the same. Where no competition ex-
listed they were made to suffer.
He then referred to the unjust dis
ordinations railroads made against
the shippers Of certain towns and
cities. He cited the case of whole
sale house in Jacksonville who, along
the line of the f. G. and p, where be
sold goods, and he did a big business,
always included the railroad rates,
which made the prices lower than any
other dealer on the same line could
sell the goods for. That man had a
pull-for when 1t came to selling the
same goods over other lines Of roads
he could sell no cheaper than his
/ i, ,ninh hrrs,