The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-16
THE NEWSPAPERS
ON GOV. BR0WARD.
Governor BrOward Says We Sell Our
Principle.

AAAANARsga
When the papers of the State differ
in the slightest with Governor Broward
on any issue of Importance, he mounts
the stump and declares that 1.-THE pa
pers" whether all or some, he doesn't
say) are owned and controlled by the
railroads. Of course this has been as
serted so many times the people don't
really take him seriously, but it is,
nevertheless, a display of weakness
which one occupying such an exalted
position should endeavor to avoid. His
mere assertions, based upon nothing, do
the papers no harm. 1t simply reflects
upon the person making the statement,
-Gadsden Times.
Governor Broward continues to abuse
the State press, and in his abuse he
makes no exceptions. Mr.. Broward
knows full we'll that there are newspa-
pers which supported him in his candi-
dacy and which are supporting him in
his administration whose editors are
honest men and true, and there are
some newspapers which did not support
Mr.. Broward In his candidacy and which
have not agreed with all his policies of
government whose editors we do not
believe are either purchased or pur-
chaseable,
Mr.. Broward should not make the
mistake of believing that an abuse of
the press in general will add anything
TO his popularity. If he has been un-
fairly treated and misrepresented by
any newspaper in Florida, and il he has
reason to believe that these papers
have been subsidized, he has a perfect
right to roast them to his hearts con-
tent. But, he should particularize and
not place the whole newspaper bunch
on the gridiron together.
The editor of the Courier is one news
paper man who has stood sQuarely by
Governor Broward from the date Of
last years first primary. We wers
actuated by no promised reward, but
because we believed in the principles he
represented. Feeling this way, Il is, to
say the least, little bit cooling to our
ardOr to not be exempted from the ter
rible anathemas the Governor is hurting
at the State press. Plant City Courier.
AS reported by the press the Gov
ernOr seemed to be particularly bitter
against the newspapers Of the State in
his speech on Saturday night in defense
Of his drainage scheme. He claimed,
as on former occasions, that the press
of the State is under the control Of the
railroads and corporations, and that
they are subservient TO the wishes Of
their masters.
1t is rather unfair for Governor Of
a State to denounce in such wholesale
manner the newspapers of the State.
1t may be quite possible that some Of
them are in leading strings, but in the
main they reflect the opinion Of the ma
jority OF the people in the localities
where they are published. Country pa
pers, particularly, could not exist very
long If they bucked public opinion to
any great extent.
AS a sample Of the unfettered country
press We cite the Polk County Record,
whose editor, it seems, was threatened
by the owners of the building he occu-
pied that If a certain article appeared
in the paper he would be ordered out.
The editor Immediately secured other
quarters, and in printing the article
took occasion TO say: 1--WE are the sole
owner of ourselves No man has a
mortgage upon us. We have exclusive
control Of ourselves. We are not look
ing for trouble, but TO be die
tated to, and that dctaton supplement-
ed with a threat, never"
We believe this editor is fair sam
pie of.most Of those in Florida, whether
they agree with the Governor in his
drainage scheme or not. Orlando Re-
.)orter-Star.
Governor Broward turned loose the
''phials Of his wrath" against the news
papers Of the State, in Jacksonville,
Saturday night last 1t was the "old,
old story'-the press is controlled by
the corporations, Can the Governor
name them? And let US have the pay
master at the same time. The Gov
ernor says he was not elected by or
through them, and yet he used consid-
cradle advertising space at times
Lake City Index.
Governor Broward accuses the State
press Of being controlled by the rail-
roads and interpretations. Some of
them might be, but even at that they
have done more for the State than Gov
ernor Broward has ever done or ever
will do. If the money that will be
used in the Governors drainage scheme
would be applied to the cultivation Of
the vast amount of waste lands in the
State, we believe il would be put TO a
better use and more good would be OBJ
tanned from IT, White Springs Herald.
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SleepleSsnsSS.