The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-04-14

just ore fo014 MON valid contract
whi1h tHh ben 0Rdanely ratified by
Ire gcE9 bic q Iclal anthorityin the
State We take pIbesure in reproducing
TIE following toTespo ndence, which
explains itself.
aIhhatsoe ma, April 10. 1906.
Eiito| Daily Capital In your issue Of
tllQ 81 instant you reproduce an ar
kicla from tho Pnnta Gonda Herald.
from which the following extract Is
taken. ,f..~
Anctl'os to1aeaioafo - drawn froa General
fllehF'ats eieta1g = ttak tie WaiIea claim Vim not
rec,se yeEg favorable consideration from the pres
tAst p To Legislslus q two SesrS aso he wSs
one II tAe foat netivo opponantB Of the claim and
,s 4 re hin vsSSly ;oSs HSsi ;s,o
details ~ ehe arsumsnf 4 may b. stated that Cen
eFel Girhrista position = thstcol Wales actually
e6eaaeaea tes RroNeeutign q HE scntrset ~ sn-
.es and Eeceived pay fcr the saEne, under legis-
htive ehaetNent appropriatine 1850 70 pay for
ths yssy YORK for which Colonel Wales nov claims
The Punta Cords Herald must have
misunderStOod Geneial Gilchrist, for no
intelligent gentleman with any familiar
itY with my contract could have made
such q statement, was appointed
agent fof the State of Florida by Gov
eFnor Drew in 1879, twenty-five years
passed from the date commenced seek
ing the evidence ard fling It before the
State received the great sum OF 81, O69, :
1853 So. The evidence flied first with
the War Department under an act of
Congress, and on which the War De.
partment reported (see FIX. Doc. 203,
41th Congress, LIST session, NAY 22nd,
1882; amount reported, S22A, 6AS, O9l.
As, under the regulations Of the War
Department, many items had to be dis
allowed, and the mutual account, inelud-
ing interest, could not be stated, the
Hon. Samuel Pasco succeeded in having
an amendment placed on the deficiency
act OF March 2, 1889, which transferred
all papers from the War to the Treas
ury Department, and there, with the
actual proof / was able TO fle, the ac-
counting officers OF the. United States
Treasury stated the account, and al
lowed $2e1 ,934.5I, being eS7,OOO more,
than wa allowed w the War Depart
ment. They aleD stated q. mutual &C..
count allowing lnfaresC ,at the rate Of.
z per cent On both sides, and the hnnl
settlement when lhe State cot the
money, July, lo0<, ia made on tho ba-'
sis of that old 81 eIslent OF account.
That statement made to Congress.
by the Secretaf,g Of the Treasury De-,
eenbef 10Th, 1859 lee TX. Doe. No 6os
5lst Congress, lstsessionJ. That state
ment and settlement was made four
years before tits claimed in your article
that | am charged with having shan
doned the work; and just here let me
add that at my request Governor Mitch
ell appointed my brother to aid Ia any
way he could Fiorida's ConKreRsmen and
Senators in the final passage Of the pay
ment Of said amount The additional
amount allowed by the Treasury De-
partment over the War Department
was on the evidence furnished by me,
for 1t is well-known fact that Con-
gress never pays a dollar or claims UNI
less they have first been passed upon by
some department. My contract was
by every Governor after
Drew made it(Drew BIoxham. Fleming.
Perry, Mitchell), and my report Of what
was being done each year was made to
each Of the Governors, and by them
sent 20 the Legislature. The contract.
and my work in trying TO obtain settle.
ment, was fully Investigated by the
State Senate in 1888 (see Senate pro-
ceedings, 18th SESSION.. No one ever
questioned the contract until the State
had the money safely IN It's treasury. /
have never received one cent on that
contract, Notwithstanding the large
amount paid out. The records all here
~ taken by the Senate committee of
the last Legislature viii bear out this
1t ftement, and the statement of the
vi ,ncsses then, 90 well known IN this
state for honesty and Integrity, Hons.
w. ID. Bloxham, Charles Dougherty.
Samuel Pasco, Robert Bullock, r. n.
NJ. Davidson, Geo. p. Raney, Geo. r.
Fairbanks, the gentlemen who repre-
Iented the State in Washington, and
here in their Official capacity, and knew
II the service rendered by me.
Again ! am ready to appear before
any committee, and can satisfy any hon
est man Of the work done by me by
which the State obtained this large sum
IF money, and ] only ask aimple justice
and my proportion OF that money, which
This State has had In her treasury since
July /. 1902, without the expenditure
BY thu State, at any time, or In any
way, Of one dollar
As by the publication Of that article
gou have given notice to the State that
General Cilchrist has been made Speaker
For the purpose Of defeating 4 settle
nent with me under my contFaeE, hOpa
1Ou viii advise, through your columns,
whether that statement was made with
General Gilchrist's endorsement or ap-
IFOval
! have the honor 10 be, very respect
July. 8. L Walks.
-S~~~~N~-~~1~e~~S -
Among the applicants Cor legislative
,lums left over" from ne Reonrnl
Icrimmage Of the hrst week, are two
yell Known ~. nswsP4 PEE men men. VIE ! Anaily