The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-07-14
commi,aoner, vs. Petitioners.

.
entire plan and bring to GCIEt-r AL
F the Iah-y-s o the petitioners
I 5T1. In the initial steps the peti-
. -i01 j. an zxDaEt= matter. concern
T iaE the petitioners auI the CgllMIs-
si1u-ss only. W14H g vote = order
I % il j. q county question
The commissioners are folly quail
f fed and competent 70 decide Il the
petition meets the requirements u
law Two weeks delay viii bring
. them no added qualifications fg- the
DISCHARGE Of their official duties. ElE
. il will take two weeks from the life
E Of the petition AMI q preparation tpE
al election
4sh The petition j. signed bE
ab0ak eight hundred registered yG-
t4Fs men Of intelligence. men O.
character men " property They
( are representative nen from 81. uVs.
tie county. They want -hsl- coz
s,itutig1al rights ca=eEtul.y EsClZ-
uiZed and answered. without 1i-ar--E
tactics. These latter apper-sin to
f the courts. and the question OF wet
. or dry" has not yet been appealed To
r1eiT Jurisdiction.
9Th. We are not afraid 10 trust Our
{ commissioners nor the petitioners.
. but We are afraid Of delays that may
/ involve our papers in endless dis
pItes and hopeless confusion by III
yiting them. PETITICS ~
In thu article 10 which our CORE
spoadzat takes exception. the News
stated the facts in the controversy.
II gave both sides Of the ease The
News also took occasion to cri.icise
the --ex parte" and immediate SC
ton demands Of the attorney for
the petitioners, II also gave asslE-
ance 10 the petitioners that tbs
board Of county commissioners. even
though some Of It's members were oP-
posed to the election, would act
honestly by the petition. and that in
promising that the petition would BE-
canvassed within TWO weeks Of its
filing the board was acting strictly
within its right aad in accordance
/ with a just and reasonable iuterpre-
tatIon Of the statute
The News is prepared to believe.
as our CORRESPONDENT states, that
the petition is signed by about 50
Z registered voters. men Of inJelli-
gsnce. men Of character, men Of
property, il true Of q large part Of
the petitioners, but 1t also has the
word Of the attorney for the petition
ers that it contains the names Of
many negroes who might BE- ap-
preached By enemies Of the move
ment and for moneyed considera-
tion induced TO make any sort Of an
affidavit repudiaring their sigma
lures, etc.
The great body Of the petitioners
may not be afraid 10 trust our COM
missioDers. nor the petitioners" but
the paid attorney and spokesman Of
the petitioners did voice his distrust
Of the commissioners before that
body. and before the editor OF the
News did voice his distrust Of many
Of the petitioners.
The News would offer this bit OF
advice 70 the dry campaign commit
tee: Have your petition signed in
person by at least Cne-qUarter of the
registered voters OF the county and
then present it in good faith 10 the
commissioners. Come of your high
'1eX partg' horse and recognize the
fact that there are others in the
county who have rights under the
law, E. the tIree-guarters ~ the
+ registered voters who have either re-
fused or failed 10 sign the petition.
Many of these men are opposed to
spending $50 Of the peoples money
for wet and dry" election. Many
Of them do not believe in prohibit
ton They have some rights. and
they are going TO exercise those
rights by seeing that every name on
the petition is bona fide signature. .
Our correspondent is not a lawyer. T.
His statement that lin its initial
steps the petition Is exparte matter. .
concerning the petitioners aud com /
mlssiOners only, Is not the opinion .
Of lawyers.
Over against our correspondent .
statement the News places that of .
Judge Z. Z. Haskell, who. when ask 4
ed for his opinion dictated the fol- .
lowing: Z
In my opinion the true intent and /
meaning Of Section So. Laws OF
Florida, as contained ia the Revised +.
Statutes, as to the presentation of an
application for an election concern /
ing sale Of liquors, is as follows: (
stripped Of all questions Of inter
est and bias. the law intends that
bona fide application for such an
election, accompanied by the sigma
lures Of 0ue-fourth OF the registered
voters OF any county. shall be re-
ceiyed by the County Commissioners
Of such county, at any meeting OF
such board:
THAT If Hpon investigation. To I
THE SATISFACTION OF THE
BOARD, said petition or application
ACTU ALLY CONTAINS the re-
quisite One-fourth of such registered
voters, THEN it becomes the duty
of said board to order the election.
II am of the opinion that such a
petition when presented. is a PUB
Lie MATTER OF INTEREST. sub +
ject to DIRECT ATTACK on the
ground Of FRAUD or irregularity.
TO BE DETERMINED BY THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMIS-i
SIONERS, under their oaths of
Office.
That under the law said board
must act within such a reasonable
time as will allow the publication Of
the THIRTY DAYS NOTICE before
the proposed election. so that the
election may be held WITHIN SIN (,
TY DAYS from presentation Of such
application to said board.
The true spirit ard meaning Of
this law is to INSURE to the citf-
zens OF any county, that not oftener