The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-10
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COL. cHoATE's BUREAU.
Live Oak Democrat.


A news bureau has been established
in Jacksonville, with Col Chas. A
ChOate in charge, to collect facts and
figures relative to the proposed drain
age Of the Everglades and to dissent
nate these, along with arguments and
conclusions hostile 10 that proposition,
among the public Of Florida.
This has aroused considerable criti
cism among those favorable to the
drainage scheme, and The Pensacola
Journal, among others, wants to know
who Is paying the expenses of this bu.
reau, where Col Choate gets his sala-
~, and why he is paid to collect and
furnish Information on that subject.
To these inquiries that gentleman
replies at length and the gist of his
reply is that the expenses Of the bu-
reau are paid by the land owners in
the drainage district who are oppos-
ed 20 having their property taxed to
raise money to drain the Everglades,
and to avoid that taxation are CO.
operating to influence public senti-
ment with a view to defeating the pro-
posed drainage amendment to the con-
stitution.
The Journal isn't satisfied with his
reply and wants the names of those
who are putting up" for the expenses
OF the bureau. The Democrat isn't
on the exchange list of Col. Choate's
information depot and has no acouain-
lance with its inside facts, nor do we
see that 1t is indispensable to an intel
hgent discussion Of the drainage is
sue to know the names Of the individ-
uals or corporations paying the ex-
penses Of Col Choate's bureau; but
what good reason is there why those
names should not be known? The
Colonel is doubtless not ashamed of
his clients and we feel sure that he
Is engaged in no dark conspiracy
against the interests of the people of
Florida
1t was inevitable from the start that
public sentiment should crystalize for
and against the drainage scheme
around two hostile centers, and it is
obvious that the people or corpora
tons who own these lands. or the
bulk Of them, which it is proposed to
tax, are the moving cause and rallv-
ing point for the opposition to the
amendment. A number of suits have
Deen hled to restrain the collection of
the drainage tax and il is very nroh-
able that the plaintiffs in these suits.
are among those who are paying the.
expenses Of the bureau.
But all this is outside the only reaJ|
and vital issue in which the peopleI
eenFally have any interest. and that
issue IS as % the adoption of the
drainage amendment as a matter Of
wise state policy. Facts are facts ana
arguments are arguments. no matter
where they come from or who pavgI
Tor them. Col. Choate's bureau is real
iy doing useful public service in nut-
ting before the people in inteIligib1e
form the anti-drainage side of tbel
case, and its work in that resnecti
stands upon the same valid basis with
the literature furnished by the Gov.l
ernOr and others in favor of the drain.
age. The people who have To do tbel
Fotlng need and desire to be educated
90 ootn sides OF the issue and it is a |
perfectly legitimate expenditure of
money for those most concerned in
defeating the amendment TO nav Col
Onoate nor presenting their side of the
case.
Inc Democrat is not in the deal one
way or the other and will, as hereto
fore, hold itself aloof from all entang-
ing alliances on this issue. and fron
lime 70 time have its say on the sub-
lect with no client but the people Of
FLORIDA and serving no interest but
theirs.