The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-19

sage TO the legislature has been edl- \
Ieorialized and commented upon, pro
and con, to greater extent than the
sect ion referring TO regulation In the |
manner of securing and disposing OF
| the pension fund. a large increase in
| which is evident from year to year, and
! that a bill will be introduced in the
senate shortly seeking such proposed
regulation is a fact OF course, how
ever, il is impossible as yet to fore |
cast the reception this bill will re-
celve.
A prominent senator and committee |
chairman who is among those interest
ed in this bill, stated to your CORES
pendent that it would be drawn in a |
few days and that the provisions would
be about as follows:
The present two mill tax for pen
sions will remain In effect, and $780,
600 secured from the lease of convicts
i will also be used to aid the fund. This
amount is to be divided among the
various counties as it is at present,
and any deficiency in the fund will
have TO be provided by commissioners
of their respective counties.
/ A Series Question.
4 The pension question" said the
senator, lis getting 10 be a most seri-
/ GUS one for the state of Florida, each
year showing an astonishing increase,
and regulation is considered necessary
not only for the benefit OF The entire
state but for the benefit of deserving
lConfederate veterans especially Ii is
a well known fact that some county
commissioners have been guilty of
signing pension applications in blank,
by which. without doubt, many per-
sons not entitled to pensions are now
receiving money from the state. This
is responsible to a remarkable extent
!: for the immense fund needed at pres
e1t and drastic steps should be taken
to prevent the defrauding of the state
in this regard. The bill is one that
f will most benefit deserving veterans
Il and should receive a favorable recep-
lion at the hands of both houses"
q Stockton's Work.
J No bill introduced at the present
e session has created a greater degree
2 OF interest among legislators and
: Throughout the state than that OF sena-
tor Stockton, OK DuYal, providing for
; the establishment of board of fifteen
5 trustees whose duties will be to govern
/ the higher educational institutions Of
: the state entire. Severa. Joint COM
miUtee meetings have been held for
r discussion of this bill and a number
2 Of Florida school trustees and others
: interested in education have appeared
/ in its behalf. Senator Stockton and
|. others particularly interested in the
: passage of the bill are of the opinion
: that such educational institutions can
= be governed with much better results
3 by such board. both from a financial
; and educational points of view, and
. many comments have been made in
Tits, favor. That educational institu-
81 lions are demanding recognition in a
: most emphatic manner is evident from
the fact that appropriations asked for
amount to between 100000 and $780,
900. However, that there viii be
some tall shaving" in this regard is
foregone conclusion
The Lobbyists.
= Several gentlemen or prominence
! Throughout the state were last night
discussing the influence and scope of
lobbying in the Florida legislatures of
: years past. and one gentleman asked
upon what measure the great est
amount TO money had been spent To
[ this question a gentleman who has
: been identified with Florida politics
E for about forty years replied: with
!, out doubt one of the best bills ever
: passed by the legislature is the bill
D creating state Board of Health.
D against which the hardest fight of Flor
t ida,'s legislative history was made.
| Opposition to the bill came from every
5 section OF the state and It's passa &c
5 seemed impossible. However, the rail
way lines and other corporations in
terested in Florida's business COM
munication with Cuba opened their
Golfers and spent money In every con-
1 ceivable way in behalf of the bill, re-
sulting in its passage. No bin has re
|, suited in greater benefit TO Florida and
the passage of no bIll ever called for
a greater expenditure of money" Ask
q ed as 70 the amount expended in be-
I half of the bill, the gentleman replied
: that he estimated it at $4,000.
Death of an Old Timer.
A former familiar figure that is
missed with regret by many legisla-
tors, and especially those OF the old
+ regime, is that OF Mr.. Forsyth Bynum,
T who, prior Co his death at Live Oak,
T was chief clerk of the. house for a per-
iod of about thirty years. There was
never a better or more able man in
Florida than Bynum," said an old
timer to your correspondent, and the
death of no man resulted in more gen.
uine sorrow. The old gentleman first
r appeared during the neYer-tobe-for.
3 gotten days of reconstruction during
{ which he was forced to retain his i'm
:. lportant position by buying the negro
members of the house In latter years.
of course, he would never have
Thought for a moment of resorting to
; tactics like that, but we had to fight
I fire with fire. in those days, and | do
3 not regret acts Of similar character.
. Forsyth Bynum will be held in loving
r memory by those who knew him,
E young and old, as long as the genera
!, Ltions of the present are living and