The Weekly Tallahasseean. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 18??-1905, 1900-08-09
PALACES REFUTED|
Real Facts Bearing on theICap-
ital Removal Question
The BUILDING is ALL RIGHT
# ;s Not the Shell Jacksonville IS Try
ing to Make It Appear.

Florida, residing in Tallahassee as
well as every other section IF the
State, who are at this time opposed
to the movement to transfer the
States Capital from Tallahassee 20
some other town, have endeayored to
explain to all the people Of the State
plainly and canGidly the grounds of
their opposition to this scheme,i The
chief reasons AGAINST removing The
Capital now are: First, theres is no
necessity or good reason for q; and
second, the taxpayers of Florida can
ill> afford the great additional expense
which this movement would impose
upon them. ~.
It ls>pot claimed that the present
State House is apalace. The people
of FLORIDA are not able to build pal
aces. 1t is not denied that anam Der
of other States, more populoqs and
wealthy than Florida, have much
more imposing and handsomef Capt.
toll buildings than ours. It is simply
stated as an indisputable fact t bat the
present Capitol in Tallahassee is a
large, roomy, substantial, safei COM
Portable building, sufficient in: every
respect for all the needs Of every
branch of the State government.
In this building no damage 'has
ever happened to any of the States
records or vaIuables, and 1t lis the
opinion OF entirely competent PERSONS
that every facility is there afforded
for the abundant protection .of the
States property ~
The work Of the several depart
ments, as every one having business
dealings with them knows, Is daily
transacted without Inconvenience or
delay to either officials or the people.
There has been, and can be, MP com
plant as TO the manner in which the
.work.of the several departments Is
.ccnductea, nor. can zse73e sal PSI sssi5z
sof the departments is in, any way
hampered III the proper discharge Of
It's duties by lack Of accommoa atons
in the present State House.
For over twenty years theiDemO-
Gratis of Florida have been sending
their ablest and most representative
men to the Capital to cOndhct the
States business affairs. That these
men have performed their duties in
diligently, promptly and sati Sfactor-
ilv to the people is the chief glory of
Florida's Democracy today. Those
men have not complained, and are
not now complaining, that ,the State
House does not afford sufficie1 room
OF abundant convenienceS for the
proper discharge of the peoples bus
mess. Neither are those citizs ms who
have direct business dealings with
any of the departments mflaining
Of any such cause.
The present Capitol, in, =, ord' Is
in excellent condition ana no COM
plant can be fr-hu Win IL except
Inv indivia--.iS who for special
,,00rsorE reasons desire new hand
r"ihe, expensive State House: in an
other town. The insignificant incl
dent of the falling of a little plaster,
ing from one of the ceilings several
years ago has been cited as proof
that the Capitol is deeaying and dan
gerous. Sensible and experienced
people will at once see the laGghable
side of this contention, for they know
that plaStering is liable to fall and
does fall in the finest buildings
erected anywhere. However, the
ceiling of the hall of the House of
Representatives, where the little
piece of plastering fell, is now ceiled
in a frst-class and permanent man.
ner.
1t should be remembered that, al
legations to the contrary notwith-
standing, the State convention held
in Jacksonville in June, did not pass
condition of the present
State House, or the desirabilitv of |
changing the seat of government or
the necessity of erecting new Cap
ltol or the question as to the increase
of the States debt, or the increase
of taxes which must be paid by the
people if the present Capital removal
plans are carried through. The State
convention simply authorized the
submission of the question Of decid-
ing which place in Florida shall be
the Capital of the State.
The many thousand voters who are
opposed to the removal scheme, with |
the tremendous cost attached, con-
tend that this is a business matter,
pure and simple, and that, judged
from business principles. it would be