The Daytona gazette=news. (Daytona, Fla.) 1901-1922, 1904-06-07
|ST. CLAIR ABRAMS ON
BRoWARD'S BUNcoMBE
An Unanswerabe Argument to Broward's
Untenable Land Position.
Untenable Land Position.

/ eeSeoOS~o~
The Jacksonville Metropolis recent,
contained an interview with Captain \
b. BrOward, candidate for Governor, ia
which he made statements regarding tn,
State lands that the Metropolis consid
cred erroneous and in order To yet fur
Their information on the subject that pa
per addressed the folio wing letter t.
| Major st Clair Abrams, who IL one O
the best posted lawyers in the State, AZ
the Metropolis had been informed he had
been a prominent factor in the policy OF
the State granting lands to railroads In
consideration OF the latter developing
the State by building lines in Florida
Here is the letter and Major AbrGm =
reply.
Jacksonville, Fla, May 10. 1904
Major st. Clair Abrams, City: Dear Sir
Having understood that you were a
party TO the inauguration OF the policy
of giving away State lands to the rail
road lines in the State, would be very
grateful II you would give the Metropo-
lis the facts in the case for publication.
Il call Your attention to An interview
of Brownrd in the Metropolis Of yester-
day
Trusting am not encrou hing too
much on your valuable time. am yours
very truly. W X. CATER
MAJOR ABRAMS REPLY.
wv X. Garter. Esq, Editor Metropo-
lis, City: Dear Sir-I have Just received
your letter. hesitate To reply, because
am not in politics. Still, a. the matter
referred to is OF importance, | will com
ply with your request.
II DO not know that took promin-
ent part in establishing the policy OF
granting lands to railroads in this State,
but certainly did agre To it. The facts
the Democratic congressional committee
for this district. During Gov. Drew'-
administration he had made earnest e.
forts TO sell enough OF the public lands
To relieve them Of the lien uf what WAS
known ~ the NOse deere, but had failed
TO do so. After Rloxhnm election ef-
forts were made again in that dire, ton
A. the representative Of Gen. Henry :.
Sanford, made contract with the
board for thu purchase Of one million
res, but this fell through, aud subsc-
quently the board made tn. Disston
contract which heartily approved ~
it enabled the trustees of the interna-
tional fund To pay the Nose claim and
release the land from the lien.
The next question was how to carry
out the purposes oi the internal i'm
provement net of this State 1t was ap-
parent that the plan formulated by that
u.t was an utter failure. To have per
severed in it would have been to hay. |
Sac riticcd the rntire landed domain o.! |
The Stat, without adding one hundred |
miles of railway. | suggested that the
State is-u. 80 ,OOu, 900 Of bonds and
Guild , 800 miles Of railroad. giving the
aud ~ well N the railroads az security
or the payment OF interest and princi-
Iul OF the bonds GOV Bloxham and
Il al 3 l L.
wcr. of thu opinion that the
reiit oi the State would not enable lis
q float such large amount OF bonds
kept ut ruinous discount. | am in
lined Ia think that this objection was
There was. therefore.
othing elss. t. do but tn make grants
( hands direct 10 the railroad compa-
les that would build, or permit the
lnds To te frlttered away in expenses
r in guarantee, which would not AZ I
omplish H. much AZ direct land grants {
he policy Therefore Of giving thrs. I
rants war determined upon, and |
Iink wisely. The result il seen in the l
Improvement Of this Stat. I
NOT \ RAILROAD LAWlFH
Il am not a railroad lawyer. and have
1t received or accepted f., from n
'ilroad company Tor nearly 20 years.
nd consequently am not in the cate
Dry OF those lawyers referred to by Mr.
reward III his interview with your re-
jrter At the same time | certainly do
II a3ree with tho~e lawyers who hav. i
irised him that the title to the land. ii
vested In the tru- tees Of the Internal j
iprovement fund exclusively, and that \.
u Legislature OF the Stat. of Florida l.
v no mor power or authority or con z
oil of said lands than any other one Ii
inbred men in the STATE. cannot b
,ree with this, because the statement fu
directly in conflict with the decisions Il
the Supreme Court of Florida In the p,
~ o' the state 81 Florida w. Amber. tr
II, which will be found in the Oils, V,
lited states Suprem. Court DECISIONS AZ