The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-10-05


too much power in the hands Of Ave
men. They allege that the tax asses
sors and the commissioners of the va
rious counties are clothed with even SUI
perior power i'm the fixing of land val
ues, but they forget that the acts of
these officials are subject to revision by
the courts, whereas the drainage board,
If put i'm the constitution, will be actu-
ally a branch of the State government,
with powers not subject to question by
the Legislature or any court. Read the
proposed amendment carefully, and see
If the objections made are not founded
on just basis. Consider these objec
tons;
First, neither the Legislature nor the
courts will have any power to review.
annul or enjoin any act of the drainage
board
Second, the board is not required to
make, any accounting of moneys re-
ceived or expended, though they are
given despotic power to collect and eX-
pend vast sums of money. They do not
have to report to the Legislature or any
other body or institution.
Third, they will exist as a taxing
power for an indefinite term of years
No limit is fixed TO their term of office
existence long after their work has
been accomplished
Fourth, they will have power to 10.
cate a drainage district and levy the
tax anywhere they please in the State,
though we are told that only the Okee-
chobee district will be created or af-
fected under the proposed amendment.
Wherever there is a forty-acre swamp
or marsh in the State, the board may
establish drainage district and levy
the tax. Not only this, but,
Fifth, under the proposed amendment
the taxes collected from the Okeecho-
bee district may be wholly expended in
draining the marshes of Fernandina or
the lagoons and bayOus Of Pensacola.
A drainage district may be established
at Tallahassee, to include Lake lamo.
MIA, and the taxes therefrom applied to
the drainage of the Everglades
The present officials, who, If the
amendment is adopted, will constitute
the drainage board, are honorable men
and will not do such outrageous acts as
those indicated: but, when bank presi-
dents steal millions and trusted insur-
ance officials spend thousands of other
peoples life insurance money to corrupt
legislators and buy elections, it is moth
ing but simple prudence that the people
Of Florida demand reasonable protec-
ton against the contingencies of the
future, and the proposed amendment
does not afford the least particle of such
protection. They tell US that the peo-
pie are very unlikely to elect dishonest
men as State officers. True; but we
elected an honest man once as State
Observation-Disclosures b. Collins-and he
lost $3.50, 900 of the peoples money. He
was not to blame, but he lost the money
Along about the same period of years
Treasurer Polk, of Tennessee; Treas
urer Hemingway, of Mississippi, and
the State Treasurer Of Alabama made
way with many thousands of the peo-
pies money. And these officials were
all bonded. Our drainage commission
ers will not be bonded.
Sixth, under the pretext that the in
terests of drainage and irrigation re-
qulre il, the board may employ host
of men, political adherents, as inspect
ors and superintOndentso Of drainage OPP
erations, OF dykes, levees drains and
canals, and thus build up a formidable
political machine.
Now, we do not charge that the board /.
will do all or any of these things, but
we do assert that the amendment will 7.
give them the power; andif they should /.
abuse this power 20 Cypress or wrong
the people nay, if they should openly /
appropriate 20 their own private uses
all the drainage funds collected what /
Is there 10 prevent or punish them? Ii .
they steal the money, who is 10 prose- .
cute them? The Attorney-General ,
He is one of them The GOVERNOR He .
is their chief The Legislature? They ,
will be above the Legislature by virtue .
of being in the constitution as a body .
on an equal footing with the Legisla-
ture.
In a word, they can dc as they please, /
and there is no one. no authority or
power, having jurisdiction over them
any more than the Legislature or the
Supreme Court has the power TO set
aside, override or repeal any clause or
section of the State constitution.
Governor Broward says that, IL any
one Of these men should do wrong, put /
him in Jail. Easy enough said; but all .
of them for years have been doing
wrong and violating the law as Trus-
tees of the Internal Improvement Fund, 4
and nobody has ever even suggested 4
that one Of them be put IN jail for Il. 4
They admit that the law requires them