The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-08-10
b IIIsTAKR. ARPLY REMKpY.

AFTER all that has been said "a.
shown about that sale Of q mangroF'
swamp IN the Everglades ct 41R cent
per acre, Editor Collins. of the Tru,
Democrat, has proved only that the In
ternal ImpFOVement Board made e mis-
take IN the sale, and no positive evi
denee Of corruption has been produced
All Of US make mistakes, and Il IL for
tunate that we have enemies to point
them out, thus guarding Us against {
repetition Of them" It Il not easy Il
produce positive evidence Of corruption
and without positive evidence thu
Times. Union would not charge 1t, but
II the Internal Improvement Board art
admitted to have made q mistake in THU
matter, isn't il asking little too much
when the people Of Florida are called
on to give It's members, under another
name, more than double their powers OF
making mistakes7- Times-U Union, 9Th
That was just what the True Demo
crat set out TO prove, that there was nc
reason for sacrificing public lands, and
that selling cheap on the quiet was q
wrong and an injustice TO the people OF
Florida, and that the board deserved TO
be censured for it. We have never in
timated that any member of the board
was benefited by it 1t was not our
place to do that. We call attention
only to such transactions and occur
rences and leave them to the proper
authorities to investigate further. The
True Democrat does not make any pre-
tence. whatever, at being a court Of
justice, an Investigator or prosecuting
officer. We leave those features in
dealing with such matters to those
whose duty it is to look after them.
This newspaper makes no such charges,
but we do occasionally have to call
public attention to transactions which
seem to show carelessness, cussedness
and a determination to run things TO
suit some bosses on the great people
be id" style. Let our lordly officers
take the people of Florida into their
full confidence, give publicity to all
matters in connection with State affairs,
particularly as regards the /. l. and
Drainage Boards, and the True Demo-
crat will have nothing more or less to
say We dislike to have to do it, but
will so long as there is a necessity for it.
1t is reported that Hon. Geo. G.. Mat
thews, of Ocala, will be the admins
tration" candidate for Speaker of the
Florida House of Representatives -
Gainesville Sun.
If tits true, without attempting to
cast the least reflection on Hon. Geo.
G.. Matthews, he should not be elected
Speaker of the House for his own sake.
The "dignitaries, for the looks of the
things, too, should go slow in striving
to have administration officers elected.
Administrative wire pulling officials
have in the past played a good hand in
80 helping along in affairs, that white
washing, putting up jobs and pushing
schemes that worked out generally
against the best interests of the people
of Florida; for an instance, the side
tracking of that asylum scandal, in re-
pudiating just claims, etc, The True
Democrat does not believe Mr.. Mat
thews is that kind of a man, but adj
ministration beauties have in the past
worked the rabbit foot" through ad-
ministration henchmen, to finish.
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Last week issue of the Tallahassee
True Democrat contained twelve pages,
all filed with news about and comment
on current events, both home, State
and national John Collins has the rep
utation of printing one Of the best
weekly papers in Florida, and it would
seem that he well deserves the success
that is his. st. Augustine Record.
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Russell Sage left his millions to his
wife, and now the poor woman doesn't
know what to do with them. Tampa
Tribune, That good lady may send
few thousand this way If she so desires,
and we will pledge to her, too to put
the stuff to pure, good and charitable
and that not one cent of il
will go to grafters. Just let her try
the experiment IL she wishes.
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The Punta Gorda Herald disclaims in
tention to accuse the True Democrat of
the integrity of Governor
2roward, but insists that the True
Democrats exposures and criticisms of