The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24

means so much for Florida, and mas CIV
en- florida fame on her claim and work
as tne handmade to light the nation
way to this great national enterprise. 90
well has he made Tampa and FLORIDA
known throughout the nation as ele
great gate to thesGulf and the coming
metropolis Of the South, and so Well
posted has he shown himself on the fo4'-
eign commerce and its relations 70 the
Gulf and this canal interest that he
was selected 10 make an address TO tle
great worlds congress of boards OF trade
at Chicago in July ON international com,
merce, and I saw by the papers, owing
to his poor health and pushing work to
get Tampa a local railroad, he had TO
decline the opportunity to again send
Tampas name and fame to the whole
civilized world. as the matter from the
Worlds Far will reach it. Again we
see him called to make a speech at the
Worlds Fair Congress in meeting with
the great. Nicaragua Canal Committee
to help get the work going. We ind MN
IA member of the executive board Tor
the promotion of that great work, and
in his speech at Chicago August Sd no
man ever read or saw Florida and lam
pa more delicately yet more vlvldly
written. while none but il blind man
could fail to see that her harbor Is the
natural coming outlet and inlet of the
South American business. And she IS
hound to win.
At this meeting he was put on a com
mittee to wait on the President of the
United States to urge MS friendly men
ton of the work to Congress. Since Mr..
Jones helped TO form the first board Of
trade in Tampa as a stepping stone to
open the doors Of Tampa To the outside
world we find an big papers, down to
the smallest in the State and many out
side the State, lauding Tampa as the
gateway to the Gulf. coupling her name
with the great Central and South Ameri-
can trades. We have seen the great
Plant system put millions of money i'll
Tampa and her harbor, without Il word
being said by F'loridas representatives
in Congress worthy of note in their be-
half, In the outset it was well known
that the heads of the Plant system said
THAT Mr.. Jones could never get the West
to endorse Tampa harbor. and that ne
would do more harm than good If he
undertook it and failed. So it was won
by Jones' own risk and effort, 1t is
said that during all these years he never
received a dollar except $500 Of Tampa
script given for board of trade work
and that the South Florida Railroad
for eight months gave him the cost of
office rent in Chicago that was used for
general Florida headquarters. Outside
of this he had footed every bill out Of
his own pocket to this date for his work
fo- Florida and Tampa.
There has been growing mp ut Tampa
custom house business that is now
paying the government 81 600 600
year. When Jones first began to daaw
attention to Tampa for a great CONNER
cial port, there was no custom house
there, not penny going to the govern
ment from Tampa and by the Congress
sional Record it cannot be shown that
a speech one hour long all told has been
made that would have done one penny'S
worth Of good toward the upbuilding of
her custom house by the whole represen-
tation Florida has had in Congress for
the past ten years. and some Of the neo-
rIe have been watching to see when
Tampa was going to do something for
Jones.
Mr. Jones is a Democrat. and III CON
tnUaly writing and working for the
PARTY. No one has ever heard him ask
OF hint that he wanted any government
patronage for his hard work for Tam
ia and Florida 1t is reported that the
Hon. Wilkinson Call is much interested
over the custom house at Tampa. the lit
tie village that he said, before the
United States Senate. was composed Of
negroes, Spaniards, fishermen aud half
breed indians much in need Of edlica-
ton This no said in opposing Jones
bid for the settlement of Fort Brooke. 1t
turns ont now that this little mongrel
village. by Jones putting such truths and
facts before the country as to induce
the Plant system to start the wheels OF
commerce going and Through them the
-7l manufacturing industries and
araw the eye of the whole nation and
create commerce that has caused the
upbuilding Of a custom collectoFship at
Tampa that pays about $1,000 per year
that the Senator is very much Interested
IN. There Is not one column in the Com
gressional Record that Flolida's repre-
sentation in Congress had anything to
do with the building up of this office.
But for Mr.. Jones and his work through
the Tampa Board of Trade and the aid
Of the Plant system, Tampa would very
likely be the same little sleepy village
as Of yore. | believe in every tub stand
ing on its own bottom and the men who
do the work getting the wages. | see
IN the. Times Union il list OF thirteen
names has been suggested for Tanpa's
Collector Of Customs Have any Of
them ever been known to do any public
work for the development Of Tampa that
would lead to the creation of such Gus
TOMS receipts at Tanrpa? The only
Calm they lay TO it is that they were
Democrats and worked for the PARTY III
State and county and a district
whore the Republicans who were T.
work against might be counted Oh tap
fingers Of your two hands. 1t was al.
nounced that Cleveland Wou.I give the
office this time to men for their ability
and worth TO the country, their politics
TO he second. but to he sure they We're
Democrats. Nobody doubts Mr.. Jones
Democracy; nobody doubts his ability
TO fill the custom house collectorship ut
Tampa if the truth is told; nobody viii
dispute what he has done hundred
times more for Tampa and the cause Of
her custom house being what it is than.
the whole lot that are now struggling for
the position. / have not asked Mr. Jones
IL la, ,papts 10 NOT l-,,,,, 11a