The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-11-02
AS Applied to the Whole State

Reasons why you should vote agains
the amendment:
l. Because it gives the drainage com
missloners the tremendous, dangerou
and unprecedented power to tax an,
part OF the State they please for 30
called drainage purposes.
The amendment proposes to give K
tlVe men the enormous power to create
drainage districts "as in the iudgmen,
of said Board of Drainage Commission,
ers is DENIED advisable to drain and re-
claim the swamp and overlooked lands
within the State Of Florida, or such
parts or portions thereof as Is deemed
best by said Board of Drainage Com.
missioners, from time to time"
! This is vast and most dangerous
power, and neither the Legislature nor
the courts can modify, limit or control
1t. Under this amendment the drainage
commissioners have the right to drain
and reclaim swamp and overlooked
lands wherever in Florida such lands
exist. The drainage commissioners are
the sole judges of what kind of lands
are swamp and overlooked No indi-
Yidual owner can object. The power of
the drainage commissioners Is supreme.
Even the courts are powerless. IL your
lands are as dry as finder, they can be
included in a drainage district and
taxed 10 cents an acre TO drain swamp
lands miles away. And you would GER
talnly have to pay the taxif the amend
ment is adopted. The amendment gives
the drainage commissioners the power
to create drainage districts all over the
State. This power is not confined to
the Everglades or surrounding country.
There is not q word about the Ever
glades IN the amendment The drain
age commissioners can create drainage
districts wherever they please, and tax
farms, plantations, orange groves, tim
Der lands and any lands they select, to
drain what they choose TO call swamp
or Overfiowed lands. II your lands are
taxed 10 cents an acre, the fact that
they are high and dry and miles from
the lands to be drained and would make
no difference. The amendment gives
the power to fix the boundaries Of the
drainage districts, and IL your farm or
timber lands are included you will have
TO pay 10 cents an acre to help drain
the other fellows property? Is this
right?
g. Because the drainage Commission
ers are not made accountable to any au-
thority whatever.
They will handle hundreds of thous-
ands POSSIBLY millions) Of dollars an
nually; but, unlike all our county Off
GERS, they are not required to give bond,
and they are not required to make any
reports or to render accounts of the
money spent either to the Legislature
or to the people The money collected
by the drainage commissioners does not
go into the hands Of the State Treas
urer who is under bond and who has TO
keep and pay out the States money ac-
cording to law. The money raised by
the drainage tax is outside of the law.
The drainage commissioners can keep
1t where and as they please. They are
superior to all the laws that safeguard
public moneys. Would you give men
for you such vast and danger
Gus powers? Don't you think the op- |
for wrongdoing or graft are !
appalling?
3. BecGuse, according TO Governor
BrOward's contention, there are %, 600, |
200 acres Of swamp and overlooked |
lands in the State that will be subject |
70 be taxed by the drainage commits
lioners.
This would produce 81, 800, 900 a year
IL drainage taxes to be spent by a
board Of politicians, who are not under
bond, and who don't have to report or
account to anyone for their actions or
expenditures. How would you like your
arm in Alachua county, or Escambia
county, or Leon county, to be taxed for
'ome wildcat drainage scheme that will
rive the drainage commissioners two
million dollars a year to spend in Chi
ago dredge boats and other things like
hat?
4. Because. II you give the drainage
commissioners this extraordinary tax
ng power, II will enable this admins.
ration to create such 3 strong political
machine that they will have no diff
ulty in perpetuating themselves In
Iftice for years to come.
As money-making scheme 1t will
eat the dispensaEy and insurance
cherDes all 20 pieces. Gov. Broward
las failed heretofore 10 saddle upon the
'tate his dispensary scheme and his In
trance aeheme, but he hopes 20 cue
eed this time with his drairS scheme. II
his 10 his last chance. vi going