The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1904-09-27
WITHDRAWAL OR
CERTAIN DEFEAT
One or the Other Necessary in
HOllOway's Case.
---
so SAYS ST. CLAIR-ABRAMS.
This Jacksonville Lawyer Puts
the Nominee in a Bad
Hole.
so SAYS ST. CLAIR.ABRAMS
TApvERrIsEMENr.l

AON
He writes friend as follows: With
regard to the position Of Superintendent
Of Schools, I feel delicacy, for certain
personal reasons, in expressing my opin-
ion. Il Is one Of the many defects In our
primary election law that 1t fails to con
fer upon the State Executive Committee
the power TO reject an unfit nomination.
AS between Messrs. Sheats and Holloway
In their personalities the people are not
much concerned. Still, II the charge
brought against Mr.. Holloway by Mr..
Sheats Is true, Mr.. Holloway Is not fit to
be at the head of our public schools.
Legal technicaiities cannot ignore the
fact that the charge brought against Mr..
Holloway is very grave one. He has
either been guilty OF criminal libel or he
has not been. Libel IL the written publ
cation Of any matter which tends to bring
man into dlsrepute or contempt or to
destroy the confidence OF the people In
him, whether social, moral or political.
And, what IL more, there are many things
which might not be regarded as libelous
in Vermont which would be highly libel
ous In Florida, Probably II man was
charged with inviting negro to take
dinner with him at his residence In Yer
mont. or inviting a negro TO address a
white audience IN white school house in
the came State, the publication embody-
ing the charge would not be held libel
ons. In Florida, under the decisions
given by the courts Of this and other
States, such charge would be held libel
GUS, as II most unquestionably would tend
to bring the person so charged into pub
lie disrepute and contempt and to destroy
the confidence Of the people In him as
man and as a citizen.
HoLLowAy's DUTY
When the charge was first published, /,
In common with thousands OF other DEM
ocrats, was not only surprised, but indig-
nant, that Mr.. Sheats should have so far
outraged popular sentiment as to send an
invitation to Booker T. Washington to
address an audience In the white school
house In Gainesville. When Mr. Sheats
denied this and defed Mr.. Holloway to
produce any such letter, but one thing
was left to Mr.. Holloway. II was to pro-
duce the letter. and II II contained the
obnoxious sentence demonstrate his truth
fulness In making the charge. II the OBJ
jectionable language had been fraudu-
lently iuterlined. then Mr.. Holloway
should promptly have stated where the
letter came from, who gave 1t TO him, and
have thus fastened the responsibility
where II belonged. II investigation had
shown that Mr.. Sheais had not written
such letter and that gross fraud had
been perpetrated, It was the duty OF Mr..
Holloway 10 have exonerated Mr.. sheats
aud to have given that exoneration as
much publicly as he had given the libel.
WILL NOT vorE FOR HIN.
Instead of doing this Mr.. Holloway per-
mltted the libel to remain uncorrected,
and thereby assumed the fullest RESPONSE
bility for It's publication. To make mat
tiers worse, when arrested, charged with
criminal libel, instead Of counting the
fullest examination then and there, he,
through his attorneys, waived an exami-
nation and objected to the taking OF tes-
timony on the extraordinary ground that
II the testimony was taken 1t would tend
to prejudice him before the people In his
candidacy for the nomination. II the
charge was true, the facts could not pre-
judice him, II IL was false, then he had
been seeking most infamous and unfair
advantage over competitor for the same
nomination. The Office Of Superintendent
of Schools is one so closely associated
with the moral as we'll as the intellectual
development Of our youth that man OF
the highest personal and moral character
is necessity TO the people of the State
In the absence Of any explanation or an
swer generating Mr.. Holloway from cir
cuiating this libei by evidence OF Its
tuthfuiness certainly will not vote for
him.