The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-15
COLLINS PIPR-DREAlf.

loving charge perched upon its editorial
:. P&Fe;
The Quincy newspapers, said now to
belong to the syndicate, have both had
changes IN their management and edit
orship during the last few days. It has
been claimed that Miss jefferson Bell,
former city editor of the 'used-to-be
Daily Capital, employee Of the Comp
troller's office, and correspondent for a
number Of Florida newspapers, owns
the Herald and Era Very peculiarly,
Mr.: Thompson, who was its manager
and editor, has shifted onto the Times,
was q heavyweight on the Gadsden
Times, now promises to make a better
I paper Of the Herald-Era; and these
changes took place, too, about the time
the changes took place with the Capital
Publishing Company, of this city. It
does seem that some Of the State capt.
toll gang Is connected in some way with
some of those things. It's none OF our
affair however, and we shall not at
tempt to untangle the string
Suffice 1t to say that Mr.. Hilson has
transferred his interest, whatever it
may have been, to the Sun Publishing
Company, of Jacksonville, and we wei
come the whole shooting match to Tai
our new competitors and ourselves will
be pleasant, for it will "be pleasant for
brethren to dwell together in unity"
AT least, let US have and keep proper
respect for each other
We certainly dislike these little news
paper wrangles, and as a rule we avoid
them as far as possible; but, however
much we dislike them, we don't feel
called upon to submit to everything
that is thrown out at random, whether
from brother editor or from any other
human being-we are willing to accord
Editor Collins the privilege of being a
human being, for the time being, at
least-and fearing that some of the I'M
informed readers of the Democrat might
be inclined to take the editor thereof
seriously, we take this method of de-
claring the above editorial from the
Democrat as intensely ridiculous, ex-
tremely absurd and absolutely false
from center to circumference and from
Beginning to end.
When we purchased this paper, we
purchased paper that had always been
recognized by the people capable of
forming an intelligent opinion as being
a paper of the people in every respect,
and during the entire four years that
this paper has been in existence, this
false charge has been the only charge
made that the Gadsden County Times
had departed from the ways outlined by
its founder in championing the peoples
rights or stopped to barter what little
influence it might have in behalf of any
special clique or faction.
We dislike very much in this instance
to dignity the charge made by Mr. Col |
Inns with an answer, and probably |
should treat it with the silent contempt |
1t deserves, but for reasons stated |
above, viz, feeling that some might be
misled, we will proceed to stop such |
childish prattle with a true answer-an |
answer Of facts.
1t does seem that any man Of ordi- .
nary intelligence, seeking to be believed |
in his numerous statements throughout .
the State, would first collect the evil
dence and then make the charge, pro-
vided the evidence would sustain the
charge; but it is very clear to us from
the foregoing that sometimes, if not al
ways, MIR. Collins first makes the charge
and then proceeds to hunt up evidence
to support it. In this case he will lose,
there being no evidence to gather, and,
therefore, no honest charge to make,
Why we purchased this paper is really
no business of Mr.. Collins, but,
prompted by generosity, we don't mind
telling him that we purchased il for
what we could honestly make out of it,
- knowing it to be a good business propo-
sition, and if he can show in one in
stance that we have accorded the ad-
ministratiOn any credit where credit was
not justly due, or in any way sacrificed
the interests of the people, we will /
Wdllingly take down our flag and with
draw
What the politics of the Herald and
Era are, what its present editor and
manager stands for, or who owns the
paper, we accord Editor Pitman the
privilege of stating; but as for this pa
per, as the people of Gadsden county
know, it is owned by three people, its
policy is controlled by its owners, and
for their actions. as long as they are
? legal, they are answerable only to them
selves for what they say, do or print,
misleading statements, over-active i'm
aginationi and unfounded assertions
to the nl.ary Notwithstanding.
Editor John Collins article in the
True Democrat, of Tallahassee last
week, endeavoring 10 create the i'm
preston that this paper and its contem-
porary, the Herald and Era, were
owned and controlled by the same peo-
pie or fraction [ fraction is goodl or
were ''in the syndicate" indicates rich
suppers, and as a natural consequence,
bad dreams. How he raved! How he