The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-11

Question OF repeating the law whicl
ereated the commission.
The editor of the Ocala Banner ha
gone 50 far as to advise candidate
flor flle legislature and the senate /,
lmake that the main plank i'm thei
platform. The Florida Times-Cnson
/ the Ocala Banner and the ST Angus
ttine Record. seem TO be united on thi.
land other questions. and the cause O
1.-THE railroads is advocated by them il
leTery Issue. Their articles or edi.
ltorials seem u be syrfdicated. anC
Ithey appear from time 10 time in var
ious parts Of the state Mr. Harris
has been. reared in Marion county. and
has reached the stage of life thai
| brings him close to the river that
marks the unknown shore, and it is
my honest opinion that he could not
run for the legislature in this county
upon a platform that advocated the
repeal of the railroad commission and
! be elected
1t could be well asked of Mr.. Franz
Harris. OF the Ocala Banner, if in his
very strenuous efforts to create in
the mind of the people of this state a
sentiment in favor of abolishing the
Florida commission, and that too just
at the time when the congress of the
United States is on the verge of pass
ing law that will materially enhance
tits usefulness-first. is he in advo-
eating the repeal of the commission
law acting in good faith toward the
people of this state, or is he for rea-
sons best known TO himself, acting
in good faith 10 the Florida East Coast
railroad?
Mr.. Harris undertakes 10 belittle
my efforts As commissioner by in
timating that l made promises TO the
people four years ago which l have
not carried out. speaking of three
cent passenger rates, he and others
have stated that the Florida East
Line railway voluntarily put into OPP
GRAFTON a three cent passenger fare.
and that | deserved no credit for their
having done SO: that if | had that
this was a matter tlrat could have
been done by legislative enactment.
Granting that the Legislature could
enact such law, I have this To say,
that in the season of the legislature
of 1901 I introduced such a bill and
succeeded in getting it passed through
the house. but, the senate, controlled
by men that received the endorsement
of Editor Harris. refused. by an over
whelning vote. To pass the bill i'm that
body.
Nor Wlll the legislature ever pass
such biz while such men as Editor
Frank Harris advocatess constitute
"a majority of that body Thus it is
shown that Mr.. Frank Harris is not
sincere in what he is writing regard
ing the commission.
He says that the legislature could
enact such law. They had the OPP
portunity in 1901. yet the senate re-
fused to pass the law. but when that
Infamous divorce law which was in
PRODUCED in behalf of Henry NJ. Flag
Ter came to a vote in that body that
had refused to pass three cent rail-
road bill, they passed ii by something
like two thirds vote.
And this same Editor Harris spent
nearly a year or more in eulogizing
the beneficiary of this law. and in de-
Tending the men who voted for it.
Fellow citizens. l claim the credit
without fear of seeming cOnceited. for
the adoption and operation of the
three cent passenger fares on the
trunk lines in this state, whether the
rate has been voluntarily issued by the
roads or whether upon the order of
] say this because. as you know. in
1903 ] made this one OF the main is
sues; the people of this state approved
it. and shortly after the election Mr.
Commissioner Day resigned his posi-
tiOn on the commission and the gov
ernor appointed me TO serve out the
unexpired term. Itook the oath of Of
flee the first of October 1902. 1t was
known by the railroads at that time
that the commission as then constitu-
ted. was in sympathy with this policy
which had enunciated. and which
had been approved by the people. and
that orders would be issued very short
ly to all of the trunk lines to reduce
their fares 10 three cents per mile
and the Florida East Coast railway
being in politics, and having those
whom they desired to elect to office in
the next election. made what they
called a Christmas gift to the people
along the line of their road. knowing
that the notice would shortly he serv,
ed upon them to show cause why
their fares should not be reduced. and
they thought by putting this rate
down in anticipation of that that they
would add strength to their political
forces.
My fellow citizens. the people living
along the line Of that railroad know
why the passenger. fares We're reduced.
The Seaboard Air Line railway. i'm
mediayely followed with similar re-
duction in self defense The tourist