The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-10-05
VIII Bs q StupendOuS Burden Upon
the TaKpaysFs.

| Inc appear OF bne bOVefuOf OF LDe
State for 2-cent stamps TO mail litera-
ture TO the people OF Florida on the
drainage of the Everglades is beneath
the dignity Of the chief executive of
the State and presumes the people OF
the State more ignorant than they are.
IL the stupendous measure shall be car
Tied on, the drainage Of the Everglades,
with the necessary expense in the mil
lions, the 2-cent stamp will be followed
up by the assessment roll and the tax
collector for the relief Of the drainage
commissioners. IL will be burden to
be borne for years 20 come, without any
requisite benefit. Our taxes and bur
dens are enough They are felt heavily
now, and should be relieved rather than
Increased. Let every voter, let every
taxpayer, when he goes 70 the polls 90
vote consider his burden enough and
vote against measure that will unnec-
essarily increase his tax and that Of his
DeighbOr FOR years 20 come with no end
Mo sight
y We might add that there is another
aspect Of this drainage scheme. II is
conceded that the j.. e. N. X. X. Com
pany has an old and apparently good
claim, by grant Of the Legislature for
| many hundreds Of thousands Of acres Of
the swamp and OveThOWed lands in the
| Everglades are sought TO be drained by
Governor BrOWard as State lands by
taxing other land owners in the drain
age district and using the hundreds Of
thousands Of dollars Of the Internal I'm
prOvement Fund
When the suits are decided between
the State and the l.. a N. X. X. Com
pany, the result OF which is of great
uncertainty, this land will belong 20 the
i. &. N. X. Il. Company or to the State.
II the l.. a. N. X. X. Co. succeeds in
this litigation, then Governor Broward
will have drained their land at the ex-
pense Of the people and the State and
have turned it over 10 them with mil
lions Of dollars put into il by way Of
drainage.
Governor BrOward, in his speech al
DaytOna in VoIusia county some months
ago, said that he had been asked why
he did not wait 10 drain the Everglades
until the title had been settled to the
same by the courts He said that he
answered that question in this way:
That If the lands drained should finally
be decided in favor Of the railroads that
they could take IL with its improve
ments; that the Internal Improvement
Fund belonged for that purpose any
way. Yet Governor RrOWard did not
explain that il the railroads should win
the most Of tins land claimed by the
State would belong to the l.. q N. X.
r. Co, his supporter and hacker
We have heard no complaint from the
l.. Il N. X. r. Co. against this drainage
Of the lad claimed by them, and why
should WEI Ii will cost them nothing
to drain as State land and turned over
to them free.
No one Of ordinary business capacity
will invest 81 900 in building a house on
5000 lot when Che title to same is i'm
litigation, being claimed by his neigh
Dor with chance Of winning Yet We
have "A Governor who is willing 10 do
that thing, spending millions, with
good chance to lose all Let the Gov
ernOr stop and act as an ordinary pru-
dent and good business man should act.
The people Of Florida arc too poor and
the taxes are too high TO carry on such
reck less and uncertain extravaganza in
the name of the State, but at the ex-
pense of the poor man. We cry aloud,
let such foolishncss stop, for foolishncss
il il.
II comes in bad taste for Governor
Broward 10 make night hidcous by his
cry against corporations after all the
support he has received from the t. ~
N railroad and the Atlantic Coast Line.
two Of the largest corporations IN the
State, especially when he himself is
large stakeholder and owner Of the
most unfair corporation for special priv
ilHges in the State the ferry privilege
I'm Jacksonville where man who comes
within mile of his ferry privilege and
carries passenger across the river for
hire In liable to criminal prosecution.
lie should stop this cry of demagogy
until his hands are clean Of this corpO-
rate power and influence. Volusia Rec
ord