The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-12-14
LETTER FROM GENERAL GIL
CHRIST.
Punta Gorda, Dec. 8, 1906.

TO the Editor Ocala Banner:
Someone was kind enough to mark
a statement made in your paper,
made by a gentleman of Ocala on the
occasion of a recent meeting of the
Ocala board of trade, and sent same
to me. The subject under discussion
was the Inferior and Injurious Rail-
road Service at Ocala" A gentleman
stated that, "a bill had been introduce
ed in the last session of the legiSla-
ture to give the railroad commission
some power over the physical cOndi-
tions of the railroads, and that this
bill was defeated by Mr.. Gilchrist in
the house." and that he wished the
people to remember this.
The following is the history of that
bill:
The senate journal shows that this
bill, being entitled senate bill No.
31S, introduced by Senator Hudson,
Monday, May Is, was taken up for
consideration out of its regular or
der, by a motion of the senator on
May 80. On that day it was killed in
the senate by a vote of eighteen to
eleven. The same bill was introduce
ed into the house as house bill No
399 on Saturday afternoon, May II,
by Mr.. Kilgore, of Sumter county.
The committee on railroads reported
it favorably Tuesday, May 16. 1t can
not be said that | stocked the COM
mittee. 1t came up for it's considera-
ton in its regular order on it's third
reading on the afternoon of May 81
1t was killed by vote of twenty-six
to twenty-three, | voting with the
twenty-siX. 1t is a well known fact
votes last The bill was dead before
| voted. The legislature adjourned on
June 2, leaving one day, June H. for
the consideration of the bills It is
quite evident that a bill that has been
defeated by over a two-third vote of
the senate, and was brought up for
consideration on the afternoon of May
81, there being but one day more for
the consideration of bills, could not
have possibly passed the legislature,
even if it had passed the house. 1t is
also quite evident that l did not kill
~ hill I 11n1orcrnr1 hot
was engineered by one of the mem
bers of the railroad commission. |
see that the ''drummers" have taken
hold of the matter with view of hay
ing this identical bill passed at the
neXe session of the Legislature.
Although none of these gentlemen
are making living by getting a sal
airy out of the railroad commission,
yet, | am satisfied that under their
supervision this bill will not be in
PRODUCED in the next session after
nearly three-quarters Of the SESSION
is passed.
Conditions have changed since last
session of the Legislature. There was
no demand at that time IN the Great
County of DeSOtO, which l had the
honor to represent, for the passage
of any such bill. There is now. If
thought the gentleman now engi-
neering this bill would postpone it's
introduction until the middle of May,
as was done before, | would take
charge of it myself.
While in Europe last summer, was
much Impressed by what a Scotchman
had placed in front of his castle
They have said. What said they?
Let them say"
In conclusion | would simply state
that l was an earnest, hard working
member of the legislature, and l try
to be the same in any body of which
am a member.
Very truly,
ALBERT w. GILCHRIST.