The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1906-04-27

| - Wv poa'u, LOT II never occurred To-
me mat the petition had any poi,iul
significance, and if it had should hay,
acted Just as ! did, if had known il
WouIu nave cost me every vote in III
LUCE county, for will not prostitute
my conscience and self RESPECT for the
votes OF any man or set Of mon for amy
once Wllhln the gift If the pcupIc
am not tied nor obligated to any man
or faction, and | will dischH.,p my
sworn duty as see il, "et the rhlp.
fall where they may.
FeudS and factionalsm must hc ur-
known to Il public official. c!,, uc. Is
uhllt to be such; and while il dlsur,scs
me to admit it, it did seem to M, ,ng,
there was more behind the petition not
poltlc2I, however, than the more ask
ing Tor protection Of the cattle mon i'm
the removal of ID. l.. Alderman, on
demand, ID, f. Knight, their attorney.
was informed that they would have Ia
present written and sworn CHARGES
against Alderman To- Justify his rr.
moyaI. Later Attorney Knight came
before the board and stated that no
charges would be made and asked final
action on the petition, and at this point
! wish to call special attention to the
law governing removals in matters
| where the Governor acts. BN referring
to the act creating the office Of fish and
| game warden we find the following:
THE Governor may at any time re-.
move such officer for good cause: and
it shall be the duty Of the county com
mlssloners to report to the Governor
any neglect of duty ON the part Of such
officer, and the Governor shall investi.
gate such charges, and if satisfied that
they are well founded. shall cause suit
to be instituted on the bond of such
officer for the penalty"
From the above it will be clearly seen
that the Governor of the State of Flor
ida can only remove such officer for
good cause" also that the grounds for
such removal must be based on the
report to the Governor for neglect of
duty on the part of such officer" Any
other procedure would deprive such
officer Of the rights guaranteed to him
by the Constitution and place in the
hands of the Governor those arbitrary
powers which no free republic would
tolerate. This being true why should
the county commissioners be asked to
exercise such despotic power which is
no where granted them by the laws Of
the land and denied to the Governor
! himself?
When | took the oath of office |
pledged myself to defend the constitu-
| ton and uphold the laws of the land.
and broadly speaking, to admisistcr the
duties of the office so rs to do justice
to all men according to the law, which
embodies that wise provision, that no
man shall be deprived of his rights
| without being confronted with charges
to which he can make answer and de-
fend himself, including the right to
hold am office to which he has legally
been appointed, until charges are pre-
ferred and proven demanding his re-
moval. When majority of the board,
while | am member, reach that sub
lime height Of arrogant dcSpotism " here
they will vote to remove citizen rom
office on Il petition, unsupported by
charges | shall resign, for then no in
nocent man would bc safe from vi at
would be termed reign of dcSpotism
and Injustice. | would sever my con-
nection with a board that would so
brand itself. Luckily for st. Lucle
county. she has been spared such Il
humiliating and disgraccfuI episode,
and her records ON file at the clerk :
office show to whose votes she Is m
dehted for the escape. ,
The clai II was and is set up, that ire
petition king for the removal OF AL
dnrman contained the names OF ma
ioritv of the cattle owners in the
aistric, and should have been granted,
for that reason. bul such an argument
is mere sophistry; If every cattle owner
had been ON il without charges, Snouid
have onposrd it. Every man is liable
to he placed in an attitude similar Ia
Alderman some time in his HE, and
yhnn nv turn comes ! want to feel thal
sholl be- yiycn that just treatment
thoi nm honest man feels that ne Is en-
l;ti,l to from his fellow man, ana tt
f'n thot .ou are entitled to- 1t, you
INNS, L,vr that deep abiding knowledge
and convection that You nave mcI'd ou'
- your fellow man, mai sure, Ju''t'
tEot you know end feel ~ the iIerlIttS'
Of every man Who ASH Tor nolhll'S ou
Justice, n.....ti,, b,v,
from nv point Of ti"W, given Alderman
nnM Int Justice which a man agalnS
,,h,o no char%.- were MADE was CT!
/ Gtlod to from those who had 1t m thel
nnwe,. TO dispense Justice, ana no humai
/ - -, L.. ,,,,;.I ~ and tlrO III as NOl