The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-05-11
EVERGLADE
PROPOSITION
Major Abrams Letter No. 2, Showing
the Drainage Scheme Up for
What Il is Worth.


Editor Of the Metropolis:
In the speech delivered in Jackson
vile, Governor Broward, as the news
paper reports state, boldly charged the
railroad companies with being behind
the opposition to the plan of draining
the Everglades.
Up to the present time l have not
heard of but a single railroad company
being engaged in the litigation now
pending, or meditating even, any litiga-
ton over the tax.
ONLY ONE RAILROAD INTERESTED.
AS a matter of actual fact, there is
but one railroad company really inter-
ested in getting these lands, and for
this reason: The Pensacola and Allan
tic Railroad, now owned by the Louis
vile and Nashville, has the oldest land
grant of any railroad in the State. 1t
claims every acre of land owned by the
State within the Everglades under the
grant given it in its charter. The other
railroads having land grants have junior
claims. The only railroad running par
allel to the Everglades is the East Coast
Railway, and it has the youngest of all
the grants. Furthermore, under the
act of 1893 giving it the grant, it could
receive no land for any part of its road
dlltT Way OF, 1910, anu a
large part of its road was constructed
after that date. 1t certainly would have
no reason in opposing the tax if it was
to receive any considerable portion Of
the lands in the Everglades. ! under
stand that this company owns about
10000 acres of lands subject to the tax,
while the aggregate area of land taxed
by individuals is over 8, 100000. 1t is a
small matter Of business to see if the
Florida East Coast Railway was a
claimant of any considerable portion of
the Everglades and these lands were Of
the value Governor Broward estimates
after being drained, it would be very
willing to contribute per cent of the
cost Of draining them and thus get the
owners of 1850, 600 acres to bear 80 per
cent of the burden of taxation to drain
the Everglades lands for its benefit.
BOON TO THE L. an.
Certainly the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company, which claims the
entire body of land within the Ever
glades, would have no reason to oppose
the drainage of it. 1t owns but little
or no land within the drainage district.
If the United States Supreme Court
affirms the validity of the grant, the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Com
pany would certainly prefer to receive
these lands drained than undrained. If
these lands are not worth so cents an
acre now while in a condition of swamp
and overflow and will be worth $50 per
acre after they are drained, | can see
no reason why the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad would oppose the State
compelling owners of other lands paying
the expense of draining the Everglades
for the benefit of this company. On
the other hand, if the Supreme Court
of the United States decides against
the claim of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company to these lands, it can
make no difference to the company
whether they are drained or not, since,
as they are not called upon to even help
pay for the drainage, they could not
lose anything even if they did not gain
anything
OTHER RAILROADS INulFFERFNT.
In like manner. the other railroads
claiming part of these lands. owning
junior grsnts, are IN the same position
as the Louisville ard Nashville. II
their contention that these lands should
be divided pro rata anOlg the railrO d.
according to the sericrily Of their char
ter is sustained, they would Ir,ter to
have them decided to them drained at
the expense of somebody else rather
than to receive them IA drained, II
follows. therefore, that the charge
made by Governor Bioward in his
speech is utterly without logical reason
and | do not hesitate to pronounce il
the veriest piece # demagogism ever
perpetrated by man holding his re-
sponsibe position, and could have had
but one object, viz: 20 excite the anti
corporation prejudices Of the ignorant
and unthinking
D-N THE CORPORATIONS.
During the Napoleon wars, in the last
years of the eighteenth and first years
of the nineteenth centuries, it was said
that in England when parents W shed TO
brighten their children they threatened
TO give them TO Bonaparte. In like
manner, il is now fashionable on the
part Of certain politicians 20 damn the
railroad comp; MES ard charge them
with being the authors of every meas
ure they advocate and which other PEG.
pie oppc Sc Personally ! have the
warmest regard for Governor Broward.
but his raising this old cry Of wolf
by accusing the railroad companies Of
this State with icing behind the oppO-
sition 10 this drainage tax is utterly ri
diculous. So absolutely opposed as II is
TO the material inter ests Of the railroad
companies claiming the lands that ! am
surprised he should not before making