The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-06-23

etc., Governor Broward cites the swamp
land act Of Congress Of 1850 and the aet
of 1866 creating the board, and declares
that the moneys controlled by the board
are mot subject TO legislative con.
troll.
While IL is true that the act Of 1856
vested in the board 'irrevOcablv" the
lands and their proceeds, Is 1t not also
true that no Legislature can 'irrevOca-
bly," bind and control the action Of it,
successors, and that law made by one
Legislature may be repealed or amend
ed or modified by any Of its successors?
II this ID true, the Legislature Of 1905
had the right and the power to abolish
the board by the repeal Of the act OF
1866, and therefore 1t had the right and
the power to amend that law land II
was amended subsequent TO its enact
ment), and to change or modify it in
any manner 1t might see fit to do.
Is II not also true that for many
years the Legislature has assumed con-
troll Of these very lands, granting them
to railroad and canal companies, the
board conveying the titles in accordance
with the terms Of the several grants?
II the Legislature could thus grant the
lands, does it's power stop there, and
not extend TO the proceeds Of those sold
by the bOard7
Another curious thing occurred in
connection with the expressed functions
Of the board, Ito the purpose Of re-
claiming said lands by means of, levees
and drains" Why was 1t necessary for
the accomplishment Of this purpose in
the Everglades that new board should
be created, with functions practically
identical with those OF the I. I. board,
and for scientifically the same purpose?
The new drainage commission" APP
pears 70 be quite a useless appendage
to the old board, although composed Of
the same officials as members. Why
incur the expense Of two boards, for
the execution Of the same purpose,
when one would have suficed?
Still another feature, quite as re-
markable, is the reason given by the
Governor for vetoing the act providing
for the auditing Of the accounts of the
/. I. board by the State auditor, viz:
That It was not broad enough TO com
pass the investigation which the Gov
ernOr seemed to regard az necessary,
Half loaf is better than none at all;
and II, In practice, the auditors work
should be found TO be restricted by the
terms Of the act, nothing would have
been easier than TO enlarge his powers
at the next session of the Legislature.
These queries are not made in q spirit
Of captiOus criticism Of the action Of
the Legislature or the Executive, but
from a sincere desire to draw out, from
those competent to answer them, such
response as may inform the public as
70 the true state Of affairs.
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The Tallahassee True Democrat re-
fers TO former Governor Jennings as a
carpet-bag Governor. This Is evidently
fair sample Of what that paper be-
lieves TO be true Democracy Evident
" for the simple reason that former
Governor Jennings did, in some way,
differ from the ideas of the Tallahassee
paper AS regards policy, he must be
designated a. u carpet-bag Governor,
thus insulting every man in the State
that comes from another State and
there are thousands Of them in Florida,
and what would we do without them
simply because Of difference of Opin-
ion. It IL a pity that men with such
narrow ideas can stand before the pub
lie az expOunders Of political principles,
because no good can come TO the State
as a whole by such characterization ~
this. The Herald respects the opinions
OF the Democrat. but differs with Il As
10 the manner of its expressions and
feelings toward men who have helped
greatly in the development of the State
Tampa Herald.
The only response To the foregoing
which The True Democrat regards as at
all necessary or expedient is to remark
what every other reader except the
Herald must have noted that the ref
erence to Jennings as a carpet-bag
governor was the similarity existing be-
tween his methods and those Of Flor
ida's former Republican CRrpet-bag
governors, rather than 70 the accident
of his birthplace The True Democrat
in common with all true Florida Demo-
Gratis, respects. esteems and heartily
welcomes all good people who come To