The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-02

Of the State that would do that very
thing, regardless Of personal interests
or political complications; and the greet.
ing with which our little paper has
been received, both at home and abroad,
and from our esteemed contemporaries
throughout the State, prove that our
judgment was correct. In the words OF
a well-known poet, we felt that
"A time like this demands
Strong mindS great hearts. true faith and ready
hAndii
| Men whom the lust Of Office does not kill
Men whom the spoils Of office cannot buy;
Men who DOasess opinion and a will;
| Men who have honor. men who will not lie:
Men who stand before a demaRoRue
| And damn his treacherous batteries without
blinking;
Tall men. sun-crOwned. who live above the fog
In public duty and In private thinking.
For while the sehoners, with their thumb worn
creeds
Their larRl rofessions ar d their little deeds
MinRle IN anlish strife. o Freedom weeps
Wrong rules the land. and waiting Justice sleepsp'
In line with this principle, we have
endeavored TO arouse the interest of
our fellow citizens throughout the State
TO a review Of the recent political his
tory Of Florida, and to direct their
thoughtful attention to the fact that
they have been deeply wronged by men
whom they have entrusted with the
conduct Of the public business. In so
doing we have averred-an pointed to
the evidence to prove it that the cpl
demic of graft" which has prevailed
throughout the country had it's promot-
ers and imitators in the very midst of
our body polite and among the chosen
representatives Of our political organi-
cation. In so doing we had no desire or
intention to merely pose as reformers,
for we we'll knew that reforms are of
slow growth and doubtful results. In
Washington city, the capital of the ma
ton, the postoffice grafteTs were ex-
posed and denounced by the newspapers
six months before the officials took &C.
ton; in St. Louis the methods of the
municipal boodlers we're publicly ex-
posed six months before Folk began his
most effective work; for many months
the New York newspapers exposed the
life insurance infamies before any Off.
cial action was taken looking to their
correction; the Philadelphia newspapers
abored for years to bring to public no.
ice the iniqutes of the Republican
r ny lefore any notice was taken of
them by the people. Hence we have
not been, and are not now, discouraged
in the pursuit Of the course which was
laid down for the conduct Of our news
paper before a type was set. Truth
is mighty, and will prevail -; and we
confidently expect to live to see our eff
forts to cleanse the political atmosphere
Of our beloved native State, and to |
eliminate from our party every I'M
worthy and mischievous element,
crowned with success; because we be-
lieve that, as a whole, the people and
the press Of Florida are with us in the
struggle.
We have exerted every effort to give
10 the people of Tallahassee and Leon
rounty respectable, clean, newsy and
wholesome local newspaper From
what our friends and readers say, we
nave succeeded in so doing. To do so
has required an enormous amount Of
hard and faithful work, often under the
most adverse and discouraging circum.
stances, and an expense which, in our
financial condition, was almost beyond
he limits Of possibility to provide for.
We have purposely refrained from an
,oying subscribers with bills for amounts
Tue, because we wished them to use
heir own convenience in choosing the
lime Of payment. Now that the year
. ended, we earnestly hope that eveyy-
me who has not paid for the past year
will remit 10 Us the amount due at the
very earliest convenient day; and II
hey will add to Il 81 for the ensuing
rear they will confer . favor upon us
which we shall appreciate with the most
grateful thanks