The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-04-22
MR.. STROLLER GIVES An ACCOUNT
OF HIS STEWARDSHIP.
10 the Editor of the ocala Banner.

in your paper l will tell the good
people of Marion county something
about the last Legislature.
First. The bill that came from the
senate raising the salary of state
officials from $1,000 to s., 500 did not
! believe was q wise piece OF legislation
and did what could to prevent lis
passage.
Second. The bill that also came
from the senate asking for an appro-
priation of $50, 900 to build a guber-
Material mansion, l thought was ex-
travagant so offered an amendment
reducing the amount to $4,000. The
friends of the measure were not
pleased with the amendment and
the bill was killed and 1 am not sorry
for 1t.
Third. The bill seeking to establish
9 geological survey in the state, car
rying with it large appropriation
according to my humble judgment,
was done for no other purpose than
to give some favOrite good fat job at
the expense of the tax payers and to
further some ones political ambition.
l made the movement that killed the
measure and have no tears TO shed
over it.
Fourth. The bill asking for all APP
preparation of 1929, 900 for few little
high schools in the state, was, l
thought, a rotten piece of legislation
and led the fight against the passage
of the bill. At first l had but few to
aid me in my opposition TO it out
after working and explaining all
night in company with E. H. Mote,
of Lake, and Gen. Gilchrist, of De-
Soto, succeeded in having the bill
referred to u committee, which used
its pruning shears quite refreshlngly
and reduced it in the sum of $3.50, 600.
We were still not satisfied with the
bill and did our whole duty in de-
feating it and when one does his full
duty an angel can do no more. do
not, therefore, think that the gov
ernOr of this state deserves any more
credit than those of US who fought
long and hard to put the bill in shape
for his veto. 1t is a matter of RECORD
that We saved more to the state than
be did. His veto was made upon
constitutional grounds, our fight was
made upon the high plane of right.
Hence leave the matter to thinking
people and let them say VINO deserves
the more credit.
was also member of the COM
mittee on enrolled bills, part of the
time acting chairman. Said COM
mittee enrolled over one hundred
bills more han the senate committee
and spent $3.50 less.
1 also introduced the substitute TO
the WALES bill reducing the amount
from ST., 900 to $25, 200 ard with the
light and testimony had before me
then and have been able to gather
since, would do the same thing over
again if sent back to Tallahassee, and
would not vote for any man for the
Legislature who fsvors paying the
WALES claim in full A hint to the
wise is sufficient.
l also led the fight for the bill to
pay the state debt out of the Indian
war claims fund. | also led the fight
in the house against the unnecessary
clerks and in this particular alone
saved several thousand dollars to the
tax payers of the state.
hope your readers will pardon the
pronoun 81" To give a faithful
account of my ste wardship 1 am
compelled to use it but do not claim
that L deserve any more credit than
those who worked and voted with me
or the propositions have named.
was asked to lead the fight simply
because of my experience in the leg
Islature. Every legislator who voted
with me certainly deserves as much
credit as | do.
A careful examination of the rec
ord will show that we saved the tax