The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-20
HISTORY OF THE BOND BILL RE
HEARsED AND IT'S FRIENDS
AND ENEMIES BROUGHT
TO LIGHT.


TO LIGHT.
Editor Pensacola Journal:
There has appeared from time to
time anonymous articles published In
the evening News, making insiduous
attacks upon my record, which arti-
cles have been signed Consistency"
A. Q. Cumber," "A. G. Abbage," etc.
Attacks made by men who have not
the moral courage to let the public
know who they are, who skulk behind
fictitious names and make reckless at
lacks from ambush, as It were, are
usually undeserving of any notice be-
Ing paid them but when such articles
are given prominence by the paper
that publishes them, and are possibly
the fruits of the paper itself, there is
some excuse to make reply.
Heretofore 1 have taken no notice
of the vaporings or gross misrepre-
/ sensations that have emanated from
this source, nor would / do so now
were l not urged by others. feel
4 that II any man has any charge to
| make against me let him come out
into the open ana make it. He will
find me there fully prepared for an
adequate and vigorous defense. 1t
is only in Difference to the wishes of
friends that indulge this inconsistent
dish of Cucumber" and "Cabbages.r
Consistency" Inconsistencies.
/ In yesterdays News the anonymous
misfit signed himself Consistency
rehearsed his threa0bare declaration
that / am inconsistent. He then pre-.
tends to proceed to prove IL
He says: Nearly two years age
the voters of the city decided that
they wanted the city to own water
works, electric lights, public mar
ket and other improvements and by
a practically unanimous vote asked
THAT the legislature pass law au
thorizing the issue of bonds for the
purpose of carrying their wishes intS
effect"
This remarkable statement is strict
ly true with the following notable ex
lceptions:
The voters of the city two year.
ago did not make any such decision
nor did they decide by a-'.practicall,
uhduiuiouo fotC ~ each- thC --iOSAoAo
ture to pass any such law for an!
such purpose. -
The reason the voters did not do s.
was because the legislature had pass
led precisely such a law two year
prior to that time and hence it wa
not necessary.
This reckless butcher of facts thel
8 proceeds to state:
Before the election was held
: mass meeting was called at the al
> mory for the purpose of enhghtenin
the people on this question, and at tn
same time the friends of Mr.. Shin
twere conspicuous by their presenc
: and the active part they took at RI
!, meeting, while Mr. Bliss was conspicr
= Eous by his absence" etc
AS no election was held at any sue
time for any such purpose, it follow
i that this mass meeting has no bearin
+ on the matter and as matter of fac
it was for an entirely different purpos
, But the covert purpose of the abov
:, paragraph was to create the impre,
!, sion that Mr.. Shine and his friend
we're responsible for the bond bill an
municipal ownership movement whe
t. as a matter of fact they had no NOR
e to do with it than did the Beers c
S Africa.
The True History.
8 The history of the bond bill date
= back several years. / made indivit
ual effort in various ways to get sue
u a measure started was turne
down in my efforts by the commerce.
!. organizations and my efforts to &c
It the city council to 90 something wer
e as futile as my recent efforts to &c
d them to do something in regard t
e the water question. The legislator
n met, was in session ana nothing wa
being done and from all prospects wa
:. not going to be done. Mr.. ]. N. Al
= drews, myself and a few more "the'
= rists'' got busy" and mass meetin
:, was called
q The Pensacola journal OF Thur
:, day morning, April II; 1901, eontaine
II the call for the mass meeting, q
Cutters hall at s. o'clock. that ever
Y, ing, signed by sixtyfour citizens. th
e name of cHAs. n. BLISS being on
e of the number.
II This was two years prior to tn
d time Mr.. Consistency" says tn
4 scheme was engineered by Mr.. Shin
r and his frienGs :. 4
d Among the sixty-four citizens thu
signed that call the name of M
Shine does not appear. How abo'
his friends?
e The name of Mr.. Welles,. his spo
u sor. does not appear.
The name of George Il. Morgan, b
chief supporter, does not appear.
The name of Alderman Pryor, h
If manager, does not appear, 49,.
t The name of DR.. Renshaw, chat
t man of the meeting that nominate
Y him does not appear.
Even little Johnnie Brosnaham, ar