The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-14
ST. CLAIR ABRAMS
an DRAINAGE,
shows What De Real Issue IL In
Present FiGAt Biased Stand Taken
BY Governor howard is COwardly
and UnjustiflsbIe.

.
and Unjustiasble
Hon. Alex. st. Clair-Abrams has writ.
ten another very bile letter to the Jack.
sonviile Metrol lis on the drainage
question, in whif he places before the
public some strotg arguments showing
why the drainage amendment should not
meet with the approval of the people.
He says:
In his harangut throughout the State
IN support OF the outrageous constitu-
tlonal amendment now before the peo-
pie Governor B1oward is acting with
characteristic DO Itical trickery and dis
honesty.
Practically the entire burden of his
talk is his dendnciation of the land
grants given to the railroad corpora
tons and his shgling out the East
Coast Railway Company and Mr. Flag
Ter for denunciatibn and in holding them
up to public oblo&uy.
The only issue before the people of
the State is whether or not the consti-
tutlonal ameddmeht shall be adopted
Whether or not Iit was wise or unwise
TO give land grants to railroad compa-
MES IN Florida is not and cannot be an
issue Of this camtaign.
Whether or not The Everglades should
De drained is not an issue involved in
the constitutional amendment.
THE ONLY ISSUE.
No one knows better than Governor
Broward that The real and only issue
before the people involved in this con-
stitutional amendment iS whether or
not FIVE irresponsible executive officers
OF the State shall be vested with the |
autocratic and sovereign power to i'm
pose a tax aggregating $k,eeO, 900 an
nually upon the people of Florida.
Another issue which Governor Brow
ard seeks TO shirkiS whether or not sew
eral hundred land owners in the drain
age district recently formed shall be !
taxed to drain lands for the benefit of I
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
and other railroad corporations of the
State.
Gov. Broward knows that there Is
pending before the United States Court
1ne single lawsuit brought by the Louis
vile Railroad Company which, If de.
,ided in favor of that corporation, will
urn over to it almost every acre of
and claimed by the State of Florida.
He knows that there are other claims
IN these lands also in suit which is de-
,ided contrary to his contention will
wipe out the title of the State TO every
Icre of land now claimed by it and leave
| deficit of several millions of acres.
In answer to the argument against
Orcing this drainage scheme on the !
'eople until these suits are decided, he
DOLLY replies that If his views prevail
he railroads will not get the land
fenced not have told the people that
3ut suppose his views do not prevail {
against his opinion that his views will
yin are repeated adjudications to the
ontrary. Now. II the Louisville and I
Nashville Railroad Company wins. by !
that right will he and his clique have Z
0 force hundreds Of persons TO pay for :
he drainage of the Everglades for the
enefit of the Louisville and Nashville
.ailroad Company. He does not and !
annot answer this question. BY APP I
eals to the passions and cupidity Of .
he designing, the credulous. the vicious I
nd ignorant, he endeavors TO put into I
he background the real issue involved y
! this constitutional amendment and 20 :
'ad the masses Of the people to vote
- ~ lNE dIuithh VI liit consequences
rat will follow, except 10 those who
lay get the contract 10 do the drainage.
UNJUST To FLAGLER. A
In all of his speeches he seeks 20 i'm. ],
-ess his hearers with the idea that the II
lOrida East Coast Railway Company 4
I'd Mr.. Flagler are the chief would-be IL
-abbers Of these lands. q
Nothing more despicable and more n
famously dishonest has ever been at
Rpted in the politics of this State. g
overnor Broward knows perfectly well N
at the Florida East Coast Railway al
)mpany has never obtained a single u
re of land from the State under any a.
nd grant. He knows perfectly well i
at the special land grant to the Flor ..
a East Coast Railway Company is the
'ungest grant in the State, and he -,
rther knows that II the United States W
lpreme Court shouh confirm the valid ~
: Of these grants the older grants -
that Of the Louisville and ~
ashville Railway Company will alb =;
rb every acre noW claimed by the ~
ate, and that the Florida East Coast a. -,
lilway Company will not get single ~
rel A.
Why this tenderness for the Louis or
lie and Nashville Railway Company, on
lich has the Oldest grant. and which de
claiming in the suit now pending icl
arly every acre claimed by The Staee2 ar
ny this attempting 90 hold another de
rpOration and aBingle man before the
rss.las II l. q arrrs