The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-14
cOYFRNOR HROWARD.s ANsWER.

ernoF BrOward TO answer a question
pTOpOunded to him by the Hon. John s.
Beard during the recent Pensacola
drainage debate, which the Journal af-
hrmed the Governor had failed to notice.
The question was: while the owner
ship of these Everglade lands is in dis
pute--while It IL a matter Of litigation
in the courts-wiIl it be wise to spend
the peoples money in draining them
until such ownership is settled"
In the Journal Of September Gov
ernor Broward takes almost an entire
psge to make reply. The reply M
prises two separate communications TO
the Journal After the first one was
written it probably appeared to be
rather weak-which 1t was-and he ac-
cordiDgly wrote another which was
weaker still Both letters consist mainly
of "excurpts" from the Governors
stereOtyped speech which he recently
delivered at Jasper and Lake City, and
therefore they contain little that is new,
and still less that can be regarded as
an answer TO Mr.. Boards question.
The Journal editorially cOndenses the
ANSWER" into five numbered sections,
which we will consider separately in
their order, and concludes its editorial
thus: ut remains now for the oppOsi-
ton TO knock the props from under his
logic by showing that it Is based on
false premises and that his conclusions
are not JUST" which the True Demo
crat will now proceed TO do with the
utmost ease.
Il. The Trustees have no option in
the matter. Their duty, under the law,
Is 20 drain the Everglades, no matter
where the ownership lies.
How is it that the duty TO drain the
Everglades, " regardless of the courts,
the rights of individuals, the solemn en-
actments of Legislatures and the set
tied policy Of a succession of boards of
trustees, continuing for more than fifty
years and comprising in their member
ship some Of the wisest and most illus
trious men Florida has ever produced,
was never before recognized or under
taken, but was left, for all Of that long
period, for the jennings BToward board
to discover and exploit?
"2. II drainage Is to wait until all
litigation is settled, II will never be &C.
complished, any more than Palafox
street could be paved II the city were
TO wait on every or any dissatisfied tax.
payer who might insist on obstructive
litigation"
This is a bold and reckless defiance oil
the majesty of the law and the author
ity Of the courts. II Is actuated by the
same kind Of spirit which impels the
criminal to defiance and outlawry, the
socialist 70 contempt Of law and order
and the anarchist to assassination.
Constitutions and courts are the bull
wark Of the citizen as a protection
against the usurpation Of power by OPP
pressive rulers, and to defend society
against the Entertainments of despOtism
and the violation Of the laws In eff
feet, Governor Broward would say:
Away with the courts, when they in
terpose [as they have donel between
my designs and their accomplishment
"3. The lands which are to be
drained will, themselves, under the
drainage amendment, bear the cost Of
such drainage. said cost being divided
as follows The lands themselves pay.
ing drainage tax Of FIVE cents an acre
and the State putting up an equal
amount, the States money to come
! from the proceeds of the sale Of State
lands that have either been sold or will
be sold while the drainage continues.
The lands outside of the Everglades
district will therefore pay 10 drainage
tax, but the latter will be assessed
against and paid by the lands benefited,
just as the abutting property owners
pay the cost of q street pavement. "
But this whole proposition assumes
that the courts, which have already en-
Joined the collection of the drainage
tax, and have denied every effort of the
board to remove the injunction, will
positively adopt the views Of the board,
dissolve the injunctions and leave the
board free to carry out its plan, How
can Governor Broward know that such
will be the result? The adoption of the
amendment cannot by any possibility
affect the final decision Of the courts.