The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-14

| "HN Hiah NC 10 kudEuIlS lneSe lands
against?
In his harangues before the people
Governor Broward bases his claim in
behalf Of the State under the act of
! 1855, putting the title to these lands in
the Trustees of the Internal Improve
msnt Fund. He conceals from the peo-
! pie the fact that sections % and 20 of
this act (Which was passed on the 9Th
OF January, 1850 distinctly reserved to
the Legislature the power to grant the
alternate sections of these lands for six
miles on each side to such railroad COM
panies thereafter chartered as they NAV
deem proper; and that by later act
passed IN 1881 it was distinctly provided
that these alternate sections should not
even be subject to the rights of credit
ors of the Internal Improvement Fund
Under this act of 1855 and the subse-
quent acts of the Legislature granting
the alternate sections to railroads, every
railroad company holding a railroad in
the State of Florida became vested with
the right to these alternate sections,
aggregating 3,840 acres of land to every
mile OF road constructed and equipped,
There cannot even be pretext on the
part OF Governor Broward, or the Trus-
tees of the Internal Improvement Fund
that the right to grant these alternate
sections was not reserved by the Leg
lslature when 1t put the title 70 the
swamp and overlooked land i'm the Trus-
tees OF the Internal Improvement Fund |
Apply these laws, therefore, to the |
Florida East Coast railway, when II |
built and equipped 294 miles of railroad |
IN the State it became absolutely vested |
with right to l, l28, $50 acres of land |
within the 6 mile limit on each side of |
the road.
There is not a lawyer with profess
sional standing above the grade of a
shyster who will question the right of
this road to the grant of these alter
nate sections under the act of 1866 and
The subsequent acts of the Legisla-
lure.
How many acres of these alternate
sections has the Florida East Coast
company received?
Not single acre.
And yet, in the face of this fact.
Governor Broward Is going before the
people of the State of Florida criticisinR
he Florida East Coast Railway Com
'any and Henry M. Flagler.
K AN UNJUsTIFABLE COURSE.
The law, ignored and nullified alike
" Governor Jennings and his board,
nd by Governor Broward and his board:
he faith of the State violated, It's honor {
its implied and expressed
ontract with the men who have built
of miles Of railroad repudiated
nd nullified, this man Broward never {
heless has the temerity to 90 before !
he people of Florida and denounce as I
hieves and land-grAbbers men who !
ave simply asked the State TO carry h
ut its contracts and agreements with !
hem, on the faith OF which they have )
expended millions of doliarsl :
And II should be kept in mind that :
ls contract and agr, emeht with Inc =
lllders OF railroads in this State was p
Ot made by Republican or carpet. bag :
tate Legislatures and State govern u
tents, or Dy Republicans or carpet
Aggers, but was soiemnly made by =,
emocratlc Legislatures and Demo- =
'atlc State governments, and advo-
ited, urged and carried into effect by a
emocratlc leaders with the full knOwl- y
ige,. consent and approval OF the peo- y
e of the State of Florida. y
TO violate the law, 10 put upon the i
tate the seal or dishonesty, were u
rough; to add TO this intamy the reck- n
SO denunciations INDUCED in by Napo- =,
on Il. BrOWard are evidences of mis- =
ter uniitness Tor the position he holds, g
nj cannot fail To impress upon the W
lnds Of thoughtful, intelligent and 81
'nOrable men the strongest doubt OF ~
S individual integrity, as well as of ~
G sincerity and honesty Of his pubic VI
tcrances
ALEX. ST. CLAIR-ABRAMs "
Doctors are PuzEied. ~