The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-17

LahuhuSocC, AUUU'
Mr.. Claude LEngle, Editor of Sun,
Jacksonville, Fla:
Dear Sir-I herewith send you excerpts
of the speech made by me at the foot of
Main Street, Jacksonville, Fla, on the
night of March 3, 1906, in which speech,
it has been charged by the Times, Union
and Metropolis, that abused all of the
newspapers and characterized them all as
being venal. You were present, and
also noticed Messrs. G. M. Cooper, D.
U. Fletcher, O'Neil, and Rev. DR.. Boggs,
besides several members of the Young
Mems Democratic Club, who had invited
Mr.. G. w. Wilson of the Times. Union
and Mr.. W. r. Carter of Jacksonville
Metropolis and myself to discuss the
practicability and probable benefit that
would accrue from reclamation of the
Florida Everglade land.
The editors of the Times Union and
Metropolis wrote letters to Mr.. Farris,
who presided at the meeting, declining
to discuss the matter upon the platform
stating in their letters that each of their
papers were read daily by from forty to
sixty thousand people, and that the col.
umns of their papers were open to the
Governor to give his side of the PROPOSE
tion at any time.
stated from the platform, at the out
set, that the Trustees of the Internal I'm
provement Fund of the State of Florida
had furnished the Times. Union copy
OF their report, on their preparation to
drain the Everglades in 1905, and that
the Times Union had not printed it, and
l might also have said, that the last
letters prepared by me for printing in
the Metropolis cost me for printing in
their columns ABOUT ONE DOLLAR
AN INCH.
further stated that those papers had
printed afiidavits that were on file in the
United States Court, in case pending
against the Drainage Commissioners,
which case was still under consideration
by the court, and that both of those
papers had knowledge that other cases
were pending before other courts, in
which actions of the Trustees were cues.
toned, and that they knew that one of
the members of the court would proba-
bly, be a candidate in the nearby pri.
mary. The papers printed several very
ridiculous aflidavits, one to the effect
that water would run uphill, another
that land would burn, and they seemed
to take great joy in such publications;
and as it could scarcely have been print.
ed in the interest of science, l thought
it fair to assume that they were trying
to impress the courts that instead OF
being great benefit to the people and
the State, that the drainage was no,
desired by the people and it would BIZ
detrimental.
The people have great pride in the fact
that they have confidence in the right
eousness of their judges, and they are
perfectly willing to await carefully de
livered opinions by them, and that,
thought, very little attention should b,
paid to the published editorials anC
other matter upon the subject
l called attention to the fact thai
those newspapers had entered into {
solemn compact with the people to print
the truth at all times, to defend tn,
people in their rights, and to do every
thing that they could toward the up
building of the State, from which PEG
pie they, in return, asked liberal pat
ronage, but they, instead of publishing
the truth, and representing the people,
interests, that they were owned and con
trolled, representing only one of the PEG