The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-07-07
wet mo Dry Election Hitch.

and the board of county commission
ers are at loggerheads over the peti.
tion for wet and dry election. And
there is much censure, or adverse
criticism, on one side and fully as
much on the other.
The committee was represented be-
fore the board by its attorney, l. E.
Robinson of Lake City. On Wendes-
day morning Mr.. Robinson wanted
to secure promise from the COM
missioners that they would act on
his petition Immediately on its pre-
sentation, which he argued it was
their duty, under the law, to do. The
board declined to make any promise
in advance of the filing of the petit
tion.
There is heap of dignity in such
an attitude, but technically it is
right.
Then Mr.. Robinson made another
argument demanding such pledge.
The board thereupon summoned
Hon. b. p. Calhoun and secured
legal advise Mr.. Calhoun sustained
the board in its position.
Later in the day Mr.. Robinson ap-
peared before the board and gracious
ly, and as matter of courtesy ask
ed the board if. provided he filed the
petition then, they would not fix a
time for canvassing it. The board
talked the matter over a moment,
and then, as graciously, stated that
it would, provided the petition was
then filed, meet on the 18th inst. for
that purpose. Mr.. Robinson then
stated that he would not file it, but
would secure more names and file it
at later date. That was all.
Mr.. Robinson was seen by the
News He stated that if he had filed
his petition, it would tn en- have been
accessible, pending action by the
board, to enemies of the movement.
He stated that there were many
names of negroes on the petition and
that these might be approached by
their enemies and for moneyed
consideration induced to make any
sort of an affidavit. He had had ex-
perience in other counties and knew
whereof he talked. He didn't want
his petition to become public prop
erty until it had been acted upon, and
he holds that the law sustains this
view.
Mr.. Calhoun held differently. He
holds that the petition is to the coun-
ty commissioners; that to canvass it
is something of a job, and that the
board is acting strictly within its
right and doing its full duty in defer
ring action to recess meeting.
Mr., Robinson represents the moral
side of the subject in this contro-
versy, but it is not to the credit of his
petition that it contains the names
of parties whom he so distrusts.
He should have gone before the
board with petition duly signed
by the requisite number of REPU-
TABLE citizens-men who could
not be tampered with. That he con-
fessedly has lot of 25-cent niggers
on it is not in keeping with the lofty
purposes of his paper.
The News assumes responsibility
for the statement that the commits
sioners, as aboard, are prepared to
act honestly by this or any other
petition presented. To be sure there
are men on the board VINO are not in
sympathy with the purpose of this
petition, but that fact will not pre-
vent them from doing their full duty
as required by law when the paper
is properly presented.
The assumption on the part of the
attorney for the petitioners that the
board was disposed to juggle, was
unwarranted. That assumption
placed the board on its dignity.
When Mr.. Robinson asked, as II mat
ter of courtesy, when the board
would act, he got a courteous reply,
and the nature of that reply com
plies strictly with reasonable in
depreciation of the law.