The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1899-08-04
THE OCALA EDITOR
His Tale Of Woe of July 81. Which. as
Usual, Contained More Poetry
Than Truth

Several of the readers of the
Star have requested us to notice
an editorial in the Banner of Ju-
ly 21, headed "Prosperity Items
in the STAR" because of the mis-
leading features the article.
The pufport of the article Is TO
show that the statements made
In the Star from time to time
during the past SIX months that
times IN Ocala and Marion cOun-
ty are better and brighter now
than they were two years ago, are
untrue, and to bolster up the
bald statement the "Ocala edi-
tor instances "the extraordinary
state of things "-depression, ca
lamlty, woe, distress, and dlspos-
session-existing here because
there are fifteen legal sales pub
lished in the Star, which will dis
possess that many industrious,
sober and esteemed citizens of
their homes and property"
Then the "Ocala editor" in his
finest vein of pathos and sympa-
thy, names the unfortunate ones
and tags them with his certificate
of their virtues.
1t has been intimated that this
profuse outburst of scalding
lachrymal tears is more because
the Banner did not receive the le-
gal advertisements than that
these people are any more entl-
tied to sympathy than thousands
of others who have had their ex-
perience under similar conditions.
Let this be as it may, but one
thing the "Ocala editor" failed
to state, and hence was not cam
did with himself and readers,
namely: that the Covenant Build
ing e Loan Association of Knox
vile, Tenu., failed In February,
1897, and that these people had
all been voluntary borrowers of
this institution, had secured the
money to build their homes, some
to buy lots and then build houses
on them, while others were sim
ply borrowers, and used the mon
ley in business speculations.
Hence you see the every essen
tlal' of the article was omitted.
Now, what followed? Why, as
soon as the Covenant B. & L..
Association failed these borrow
ers, most of whom bad just made
loans, ceased to pay their month
| ly assessments, most of them,
however, continued to reside In
their houses or rented them for
the following twenty-five or more
| months, and some even failing
to pay the taxes on the property
they had built on borrowed capi-
tai, thus becoming real bcnefici-
aries out of the misfortuneS Of
the thousands Of real sharehold-
ers of the Covenant.
If the "Ocala editor" will have
the honesty to get all the data
and facts in these cases OF his
"wailing and woeing' and print
them, his readers will not be slow
In noticing the fact that the real
shareholders and sharepayers are
the ones to whom sympathy is
due.
A little reflection will convince
any disinterested and unbiased
person that the "Ocala editors
word, "honesty," in the cases of
''his lamentations" covers a mul-
titude of sins.
Again, this good, true, noble,
honest and dlstressingly sympa-
thetlc "Ocala editor" failed to
state that the receivers Of the
Covenant b. & L. Association
empowered it's attorney, w. h.
Zewadski, to make liberal conces.
slons and easy terms with every
creditor, he, in some instances,
scaling the obligation down half.
others much less, and that fully
as many persons settled on these