The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-02-12
THE JENNINGS LETTER
What the State Newspapers
Have to Say About 1t.

Before Senator Taliaferro coulC
take the time from his public dutie
to prepare a reply to Governor Jen
nings' open letter" with which he i
already flooding the State), and almos
before the busy Senator could ever
get time to read the letter, larg,
number of Florida newspapers hav,
taken the matter up and commented
upon the letter in characteristic style
A few of these expressions are here
reproduced, that they may have equa
publicity with the letter, and with Sen
ator Taliaferro's reply thereto, which
Will be forthcoming as soon as he car
spare the time from his official duties
to prepare it:
st. Augustine Record: Governor Jeu
nlnGs has addressed an open letter t,
senator Taliafcrro, In which he invite.
anu urges the Senator to meet him il
!olht debate. 1t Is quite probuble tina
senator Talinfcrro will remain in Wash
ington attending TO tae duties of the of
nee which lie holds and receives n sal
airy for, and The Record is of the opin
ION that the Governor would have lfttlt
time TO seek another Office If he woulC
remain In Tallahassee attending to tn,
duties of the one which he now hold,
and receives salary for.
Palm Beach News: Governor Jeupinr,
aspircS to be hoist with his own petnrd.
ne too wants 10 go into the boomeran.
business, and the chances are that lik,
gl h.,
get practice. his weapons will rcbount
WIN fatal effect. The Governor has chal
lehged senator Tutafcrro to political dis
cusslon and announces his purpose to rid
die the Senator's record, to the discbm
hture ana modification of HIS friend. lby
SUBJECT, page, section and paragraph
Detraction loves shining mark: hence
the whole pack, Tray, blanche and Sweet
heart, OF political aspirants, are on the
yelp after Senator THllaferro.
Tailahasseean: II was desperate Of
fort to meet and counteract the known
and expressed wish Of Senator TaliaferrC
.n"t the state Democratic Executive Com
mlttee designate times and places for a
Joint debate between all the candidates
for Senator. That Is not what Jennings
wants. The party be smashed. with him
lie would rather get of in a hackwoods
place and tell that Tnliaferro refused to
meet him-ns he told about his office hon.
ors over In West Florida, where he
thought 1t would not he reported That
Is the Jennings method of campaigning
ana to meet the committee appointments
would not permit it
Miami News: The Governor denies that
he used the words attributed to him nv
Senator Taliaferro to the effect TINT the
Senator had done nothing since he had
been III Congress" and then gives the
credit for Tallaferro's work In the Indian
Claim collection to ex- Senator Pasco. The
News does not question the statement
that ex-senator Pasco did all that could
nave been done at that time, but the col.
lection OF the claim was not made until
TaliafeTo was in the Senate and the col
lection was what enabled the Legislature
TO apply the money to the States bonded
debt; thus reducing the interest on If
ana making saving to the taxpayers.
AS to the Governors charges that SEN
ator TaltafCrfO never introduced n bin
for an appropriation for any river or hnr,
Dor Improvement in the western part OF
the State. the people win not be misled.
Senator Mallory and Congressman Shark
man introduced those bills and Senator
Taliaferro helped to get them passed,
without assuming the prerogatives due to
his colleagues.
The Governor wastes good many
words In trying to prove TINT the State
Legislature and other officials cannot use
money. appropriated for harbor improve.
ments, In reducing state taxes No voter
In Florida Is so ignorant as not to know
that.
The Governor reproaches the Senator
with allowing a bank with which he Is
connected 10 he a repository of govern
ment fu"ds instead of Introducing a bill
TO change the national banking laws
That the national banking laws could be
Improved there is no doubt. In the mean
time the money must he deposited some
whore, and II the Taliaforro bank Is A
sufficiently solid institution TO warrant
Its selection as 4 depository, II Is hut an
other acknowledgment Of the ability Of
our Business Senator" And. also in the
meantime. the Senator has put In his
time pretty well in getting appropria-
lions for Florida waters, which mean
much more practical benefit to the state
than juggling with the banking laws,
making grand-stand play. Of introducing
bill merely TO say he did It,
These are specimens Of the Governors
charges against the record Of Senator
Taliaferro.
The Senator has not been heard from
In reply, but his friends and admirers arc
quite certain that he cap and will answer
every charge to the perfect satisfaction
of the people.
YUMA kTpNt1ilOf jennings claims
that Senator Taliaferro is no more emit.
tied TO the credit for collecting the Indian
war claims fund than was Senator Pasco
and his associates In Congress.
Senator Pasco was given twelve wears
and his associates, one after another, two
or more terms, at least partly on account
of It, and ultimately failed 10 get the
claim In such a shape that IL could be
turned into the treasury Of the State
why should Senator Taliaferro be treat
ed less fairlyi
II was Senator Pasco and his associates
misfortune that when the bill for the col
lection Of this claim passed the Senate Il
could not be engineered through the
House, and when It run the gauntlet Of
the house died q natural death on the ia
BILE Of the Senate.
II may have been only luck" with SEN
hx- Retlpg IN entirs harmonx with hl, ~.