The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-05-26

people Of Lake City, where the institu-
ton IL located, need fear nothing from
anybody who tells the truth. Truth "
mighty -nniarepresenfatiOn and diatort-
ed facts will fall Nat before It. Truth
and the facts sustaining Il will be forth
coming, backed BY evidence that cam
not be successfully disputed, even by a
committee blind % what virtue the in-
stihutiOn may have and seeing nothing
but shortcomings and faults.
The visiting committee of the House
and Senate submitted to the L,egisla-
ture a report on the University Of
Florida contains gross misrepresenta-
tons and a most thoughtless disregard
of facts that bOrdered on gross ignor-
ance Of the institution they were
charged TO examine for the people of
FLORIDA. Evidence will be produced
later TO sustain thls statement. Judg-
ing from the things they did not see, It
Ia natural superstition that the COM
mittee went there with bias and preju-
dice Of some kind and the statements
made az to conditions displAyeda strange
purblindness, to say the least. Thouhg,
IN justice to these gentlemen, It IL pos
sible that they were the victims OF
some jaundiced individual, who Is al
ways on hand shout such institutions
ready to do" somebody, some individ-
ual who has cunning In plauslbllity, bur
who is not big enough TO rus above petty
spite or contentious twaddle, and per-
maps they fell into the society OF evil
wlshers of the university elsewhere.
BE this as it may, their document is
now q part Oh the living HrcpVes OF
the STATE, which they cannot rub out,
no matter wIlaL prOoI Is offered TO con-
vince as 10 the error OF their judgment
of the fRllacies OF their reasoning.
FOR lliusCratlon: ihe committee
states that Inc walls OF u certain DuIIu-
ing are crumbling. Thi bulioIng con-
Cams ABOUT 4J,OUO square feet OF plsst-
erlng Not more than 10 square feet
on TINS has fallen.
Another building is mentioned as be-
ing in a dllapidated condition Some of
the stucco has fallen OFT; 500 will re-
place il. The building is one Oh the
most substantial and thoroughly con-
structed ones anywhere, and in point
OF architecture, one of 'Lhs most sCrik-
ing Oriental types on this continent.
A statement regarding another build
ing is to the effect that II was not used
for the purposes intended by the Legisl
lature, and that the architect was never
informed as to the proposed uses of the
building. This Is absolutely untrue.
Another statement that the funds Of
Of the experiment station were imprOp-
erly applied and that the State was 60
ing to be deprived of these funds, "
absolutely untrue, as the department at
Washington will attest, and the expert
examiners have made reports as TO the
exact and careful application of all
funds,
These are but few Of the contradic-'
tory and illogical Misrepresentation
that have been formally presented to
the Florida Legislature.
There were many things the commit
tee did not see or did not want to see.
The committee made no investigation
whatever as to the great work done
that has saved Florida more than the
total cost Of the entire university.
The committee did not inquire as to
the experiments carried on by some of
the best equipped experts in this coun-
try today. No Investigation was made
as TO field and laboratory work. Moth
ing whatever as TO the vast work of
the veterinary department and certain
discoveries that will save Florida hum
dreds of thousands of dollars in stock
raising. The committee found out
hCStAAlB ASB0aAhAb VIZ hANSobAkeS VI
plant life and entomology, the saving
Of whole sections from destructive In
sects-nothing whatever as TO extensive
work regarding the orange, the pine
apple, the tomato and the potato,
grasses, hay and field products. The
committee did not notice the great pro-
gress made in mechanical arts-it
could not see the splendid skill of the
boys as told In the products Of shop and
sketch room.
The committee could not hear what
the people Of Lake City had TO say--we
mean 90 per cent. Of the people who
have lived within sight Of the institu-
ton since its stablishment-viZ: that
the institution is in better condition
now than ever in It's history. II you
do not believe this, gentlemen of the
committee, go and ask this 80 per cent.
II was rather a peculiar coincidence
that on the Monday following the visit
Of the committee I'm Inspector Of the
War Department visited the university.
He made q report TO the Secretary Of
War that he found everything IN most
excellent condition. Surely he had
nobody TO punish or 70 reward.
Such are the facts In connection with
this report. We feel confident that the
Legislature will righN the fragrant
wrong and injury done this institution,
and do justice where injustice has been
done.
Florida needs q district attorney Of
the Same calibeT aS Governor Folk, Of
Missouri, who taught the boodlerS Of