The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-10-31

OPEN LETTER
To PEOPLE
Denunciation of Anonymous
Pamphlet Issued by Anti
Drainage Forces.
Says 1t Is a False and Cow
ardly Production.
is DESCRIBED AS PAR
TAKING OF AssASslN'S WORK,
CONCEIVED IN FAlsEHooD,
sELFlsHNEss, GREED AND COW,
ARDlCE AND SENT FORTH TO
MIsLEAD AND INJuRE PEOPLE.
sneoiaI to The Journal.

Tallahassee, Oct. 80. = Governor
Broward has issued the following
open Letter to the people of Florida"
in answer to a pamphlet being sent
out by the anti-drainage forces:
Governors Open Letter.
Tallahassee, Fla, Oct. 80, 1906.
To The People of Florida.
1t has just come to my knowledge
that the interests opposed to the
adoption of the Drainage Amendment
of the state constitution have pre-
pared and have printed for wholesale
distribution just before the day OF
election, next Tuesday, an unsigned
pamphlet, called Last Words to the
Voters of Florida" by which it is
hoped to brighten the voters of Flor
ida into defeating the proposed
amendment.
1 warn the people of Florida, indi-
vidually and collectively, that the
said pamphlet is absolutely unwor-
thy of their consideration. From be-
ginning to end it is tissue of mis-
statements and erroneous assump-
tons, unsupported and insupportabie
by facts Or reason. 1t is full OF false
assertions wholly disproved by the
known facts Of the case.
A cowardly Effort.
The pamphlet is a9eaymous. No
man or set of men has risked his
reputation by vouching for its bare
faced misrepresentation, and this
alone should condemn II.
The pamphlet is cowardly pro-
duction. Not only because its false
statements and assertions cause its
author or authors to refrain from
signing his ,or their names to 1t, but
also because 1t has been prepared
and printed secretly for use at the
last moment before election, as the
last desperate effort 10 deceive the
people and betray them.
This pamphlet partakes OF the ma
ture of an assassin's work. It is con-
ceiyed in falsehood selfishness, greed
and. cowardice, and Is sent forth from
ambush, with design to mislead and
injure the people of Florida! | ap-
peal to the people to keep their eyes
open and exercise their common
sense that only is needed to thwart
this cowardly plot of the railroad
corporations and land grabbers, who
seek to deprive the people OF Florida
of the benefits to be derived from
drainage of the Everglades.
A copy of this anonymous pamphlet
has just come to my hands. l am
not called upon to answer it. I'm
truths require no answer. | merely
desire to put the people of Florida
upon notice as to the nature of this
unsigned, unreliable, unmanly assault
upon their intelHgence-this desper-
ate political trick exploited at the
last moment by INSCRIPTIONS would
be despoilers CT the best interests OF
the people of Florida.
In stating reasons why citizens
should vote against the proposed
drainage amendment, the unsigned
pamphlet Of the corporate interests
alleges that the amendment will give
the drainage commissioners the ire
mendous. dangerous and unprecedent-
ed power to tax any part OF the
state they please for so-called drain
age purposes"
Not a syllable in the amendment
confers any such power. The author
itv given is limited to the power to
tax swamp and overlooked lands. II
lands ar> not swamp and overhoWed
they cannot be taxed under the pro-
posed constitutional amendment, and
the courts will, in every case, hold to
this effect.
Not a Dangerous Power.
The mower sought to be given is
in no sense dangerous. The amend
ment prescribes clearly defined du-
ty to be discharged by designated
officers Of the state, and each of those
officers is an agent of the people.
selected by the people to do the peo-
ple.s work and accountable to the
neople for every detail of every act
done These officers are creatures
of the constitution. and to the con-
stitution. restricted and governed by
the constitution. and responsible at
aIl times directly to the people under
fbe constitution for every single act
which they perform or attempt to per
form.
There is not a line in the proposed
amendment which, in the least d.
gree, Jiminishes the constitutional
RESPONSIBILITY OF the officers who will
he the drainage commissioners. This
amendment is simply specific CON-
mand emanating straight from the peo-
ME of Florida, directed to their Off
y Continued on Page Two)