The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-15
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.


resolution to impeach Judge Charles
Swayne of the United States district
court on charges of corruption, nom
residence, ignorance and incOmpe-
tence. The resolution is a sweeping
one and the opinion prevails among
a large number that it is too sweep
ing. But is it? The idea is to bring
about all impeachment trial. Such
an investigation could not be brought
about except charges We're made.
These charges are brought ION infor-
nation not by Indictment. There is
some sworn testimony. The charges
may be the work of partisans, but
these partisans do not make similar
charges against other, and reputable
L. 5. judges. Why? Simply becauF o
other judges are fair-minded men--
men who in administering law are
able to rise above partisan prejudice
something Judge Charles Swayne
has never been able to do. The News
is glad the resolutions passed, and
trusts that Congress will heed them
and order the investigation. Mr..
Wall ard DR.. Sprague opposed the
resolutions, which passed the house
by vote of 40 to 10.
Senator Crill's bill providing for
geological survey of the state, the ap-
pointment of geolOgist and defining
his duties has been indefinitely post
pOned in the House after a lengthy
discussion. Somehow or other the
bill met with its opposition chiefly
from those counties having phosphate
deposits. The bill was a good one
in line with advanced scientific
methods, and its passage would have
resulted in great advantage to the
state. But iii great many things
Florida is slow. The state will wake
up some day and then it Will order a
geological survey. There was time
when primitive methods obtained in
farming, in transportation and in
everything else, hut its ditferentnow.
Science is entering into farm methods
and we are making dollars where we
before scarcely made dOughnuts. We
are even now all stirred up in favor
of hard-surfaced highways. Some
day we, too, will wake up to the ne
cessity of systematic investigation
of the character, arrangement and
just like other and more adj
vanced states have done. Senator
Grill is just a little in advance of the
times as they are understood in Flor
ida-just little.
The Senate has passed bill enti-
tied an act giving county judges the
power to hold inquests of the dead.
Representative Sprague has intro
duced bill entitled an act to legalize
the census taken by order of the
town council Of the town of Crescent
City, Putnam county, in March, 1902.
Speaker Gibbons has Introduced a
bill designed for the slaughter of
trusts and sich like octopi. Because
it seems the fashion for a certain
class of ambitious politicians to make
Il bluff at suppressing combinations
of capital, with the sole view of cur
rying favor with the people, it is
being charged that Mr. Gibbons has
made this play with the view to put
ting himself in line for the governor
ship. Speaker Gibbons is one of the
bright young men of Florida, too
bright, we think, to undertake such
an Over-worke ked and thoroughly trans
parent scheme for political advance
ment. He has been making good
politically without resort to
an imitation of the cheap and ordina-
ry methods of the shyster. He is too
resourceful for that and imitation
isn't in his line. If he has the ambi-
tiOn to be Governor of Florida, the
is q laudable one, but he is
also young enough and bright enough
to perceive that his time has not yet
come. The man who can frame a
perfect antitrust law has got to be a
legal peach If the one that Speaker
Gibbons has introduced shall become
law, and as such law prove effective
in knocking out unholy combinations
and conspiracies for the suppression
of natural and healthy competition
in trade, he Will be entitled to the
governorshlp
An effort will be made, 'tis said, to
amend the present liquor law, that
wet counties will get the full benefit
of the license money. God knows
they will need it, but that fact CAN
not be counted on to pass the amend
ment. A bill embodying this same
idea was introduced in the House
several years ago and We are told
came within three votes of carrying.
The opposition to it then came from
the representative of dry counties.
Under the present law one-half the
liquor license money goes into the
state treasury and dry counties get
their pro rata share. Not willing to
permit the sale of liquor themselves
they are willing enough to share the
spoils. The proposed amendment to
the law would give all the license
money to the county where the
license is granted, and whose people
are taxed with the burden of caring
for the crime and destitution which fol
lows in the wake of the business. For
this reason we say God knows the
wet counties need all the money.
Senator Law of Clay county has in
troduced bill providing for Flori-
da exhibit at st. Louis and carrying
with it an appropriation of 100000.
1t will be remembered that a few
days ago a similar bill carrying an
appropriation VI buu hdil phNu
amount failed to pass, and for the
reason that members felt the amount
was insufficient to make a proper
showing. 1t is said Governor Jen-
nings opposed the bill for the same
reason. Florida should certainly be
represented at this st. Louis eXhibi-
ton, and the News is content to let
the Hon. Jno. p. Wall represent it
on the question of amount. He is
better posted on the condition of the
treasury, for they do say he's a
watchIn' of it.
The House has declined to concur
in the senate bill providing for the
erection of home for the Governor.
There will be no free text books.
The Senate has killed the measure