The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-18
The Pensacola Journal and Mr.
Choate's News Bureau.

Mr.. Charles \. ChOate has eStah-
Iishei news bureau in Jacks, aviIie
the purpose Of which is the discussion
of the everglades drainage proposition.
The Pensacola Journal is consider
ably concerned as 10 where Mr. Choate
gets his money to carry on the bu-
real
MIR. Ch0ate says the bureau is paid
for by the persons who are opposed
10 the scheme and whose lands are
taxed - larry on the drainage proro-
S;ti1n
Tie OcaIa Eanner butted in and
As a soft answer turneth away
wrath" so a plain answer" ought 20
.silence suspicion and compel argu-
.ment to be met with argument.
The following answer of the Flor
ida News bureau - The Pensacola
Journal tells why ii was created. who
us paying, for its continuance and
that what it does is done in the
open"
This, ii seems to Us. ought To ST.
lence criticism along this line A good
plan is 10 meet argument with argu-
.ment. and not lug in irrelevant mat
ters. What matters it whether John
Smith or Bill Jones is the author of
an article if the article itself * fair.
decent and pertinent To the issue? If
the governor has right ON his side and
is the repository of all the facts. IL
seems to US that he would be glad of
the opportunity to answer what the
opponents of his drainage scheme
have 10 say 50 as to have the pleasure
of filling them with confusion and put
ting them 10 flight
We know the following plain an
swer" Of Mr.. Cipate. head of the bu-
reau. will be read with interest: We
therefore give it publication in our
columns"
To which proposition the Pensacola
Journal makes the following reply:
Aye. that is the same proposition
laid down by the defenders of corrupt
politics in 1896, 1900. and 1904. What
does it matter who supplied Mark
Hanna with the money if the "argu-
ments' he produced with il were log
zeal and proper? What if the insu-
rance companies and the national
banks and the railroads and the mon
led interests generally did contribute
TO the campaign fund of the republi-
can party for the past ten years. if
that party's argument" was what it
should be-"
1t seems To US il makes vast diff
ference. The insurance companies for
instance. We're using "other peoples
money without their consent. and the
money So used was not for the purpose
of establishing news bureaus and Of
fering legitimate arguments. but on
the contrary, We're used for other and
entirely different purposes M man
is corrupted by d pertinent. fair and
intelligent argument.
But in the case Of Mr. Choata he
tells who il is that is paying for the
establishment Of his bureau and what
he is doing is done i'm the open.
II We're Just as pertinent 10 ask who
IS paying Governor Broward's EXPENSES
IN his canvass for his drainage scheme
He is going from place 10 place dis
GUESSING it, and il costs something to
ride on railroads and stop at first
class hotels. Who is footing the bills
The draining Of the everglades is not
an individual scheme of his and it is
not to be supposed that he is paving
this money ont of his oWn pockets. Ii
is as pertinent TO ask. who is doing il?
The Ocala Banner is different from
other newspapers. Most newspapers
make II a rule 10 publish no article
unless ii Is accompanied by the name
OF the writer as matter OF good
faith. The ocaia Banner holds that if
the matter itself is important and
worthy of publication that the name
ot the writer is OF small CONSEQUENCE