The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-05-26
SIMPLE NOTHING MORE.

PCOP1C VI AdAC OAoys wiz A~A~
tuition is located, need fear nothing
from anyb 1dy who tells the truth.
Truth is mighty-misrepr
and distorted facts will fall fiat before
it. Truth and the facts sustaining it
will be forthcoming, backed by evi.
dence that cannot be successfully
disputed, even by committee blind
to what virtue the institution may
have and seeing nothing but short
comings and faults.
The visiting committee of the house
and senate submitted to the legisla-
ture a report on the University of
Florida that contains gross misrepre-
sensations and a most thoughtless
disregard of facts that bOrdered on
gross ignorance Of the institution
they were charged to examine for the
people of Florida. Evidence will be
produced later to sustain this state
ment. Judging from the things they
did not see, it is a natural SUPPOSE
ton that the committee went down
there W tn bias and prejudice of some
kind and the statements made as to
conditions displayed strange pur-
blindness, to say the least. Though,
in Justice to these gentlemen, it is
possible that they were the victims
of some jaundiced individual, who is
always on hand about such institu-
tions ready to ''do' somebody, some
individual who has cunning in plaus-
ability, but who S not big enough to
rise above petty spite or confessions
twaddle, and perhaps they fell into
the society of evil wishers of the
university elsewhere. Be this as it
NAV, their document is now a part of
the living archives of the state. which
they cannot rub out, no matter what
proof is offered to convince as to the
error of their judgment or the falla-
cies of their reasoning.
For illustration: The committee
states that the walls of a certain
building are crumbling. This build
ing contains about O,OO0 square feet
of plAsrering. Not more thai 10 feet
of this has fallen.
Another building is mentioned as
being in a dilapidated condition
Some of the stuc2o has fallen off ;
$500 will replace it. The bu lding is
one of the most substantial and
thoroughly constructed ones any
where, and IN point of architecture,
one of the most striking oriental
types on this continent.
4 statement regarding another
building is TO the effect that it was
not used for the purpose intended by
the legislature, and that the archi-
tect was never informed as TO the
proposed uses of the building. This
is absolutely untrue.
Another statement that the funds
of the experiment station were i'm
properly applied and that the state
was going to be deprived of these
funds, is absolutely untrue, as the de
partment at Washington will attest
and the expert examiners have made
reports as to the exact and careful
application of all funds.
These are but few of the contra
| dictory and illogical misrepresenta
tions that have been formally pre-
sented to the Florida Legislature.
There were many things the com
mittee did not see or did not want Il
see.
The committee made no inveStiga
ton whatever as to the great worE
| done that has saved Florida more
! than the total cost of the entire uni
versity.
The committee did not inquire as tC
| the experiments carried on by some
/ of the best equipped experts in the
| country today. No investigation wa:
made as to field and laboratory work
| Nothing whatever as to the vas
| work of the veterinary department
| and certain discoveries that will save