The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-04-12
10 THE CITIzENs OF FLoRlDA.

TO THE CITIZENS OF FLORIDA.
On the 18th Of July, 1919. / made ;ht
following contract with the State Oh
Florida:
Know all men By these presents, that
], George +. Drew, reposing a special
trust and confidence in the ability, fdcl.
ity and pru ence Of Sidney l. WaiIa8.
do hereby constitute and appoint the
said Sidney l. WALES Agent for the
State Of Florida before the department
at Washington City, and 10 ask and de-
mand, and 10 receive Of the Govern
ment Of the United States, any and all
sums OF money due 20 said State Of
Florida for expenses incurred by said
State Of Florida on account Of Indian
hostilities in said State from the year
ls49 TO the year 1856, inclusive. The
said Wales 10 receive compensation
for performing the above work fifteen
per cent of the sums received from the
general Government upon such Indian
war claim, and % defray all expenses
incurred in the prosecution Of the
same.
In testimony whereof I have here
unto SET my hand, and caused the great
seal Of the State Of Florida 10 be at
lachcd, this 10th day Of july, A. b.
1919.
(SeaD GEORGE f. DREW,
Governor.
Attest; W. d. BLoXHAm.
Secretary Of State.
Under that contract Col. w. x.
Beard, w H. Wales, my brother, and
] spent tWcnty-thrcc years, without
dollar Of cost TO Florida, / paying all
expenses.
As direct result OF our efforts under
that contract there was paid into thc
State Treasury the magnificent sum on
one million eiRhtyu,Dc thousand one
hundred and fifty eight dolmrs and
sixty.sx cents (sl, Os9, 1853 CO.. Fifteen
per cent Of this, $lG3, 373 ~, bccam"
due 10 me tho mOmcnt that money was
psid into the State Trcasury
During the session Of the Legislature
in 1903 there was a meeting held u the
Tallahassee opera house by certain
Inembcra who we're opposed to my re-
cciyirR my just duoa, viz: $lG3, 373 ~,
and they arbitrarily fixed my oOmpcn.
aatIon at $25, 900, which should be- in
full Of all demands under said contract,
those members fayoring settlement on
the 10 per cent commission bJsls not be-
ing INVITED 10 bee present, nor had any.
thing 20 DO with said meeting. Under |
this agreement law was pas cd allow |
Ing me the SIS. 600 | was not consulted /
In the matter, did not consent lo 10, and /
have peTsI5tcutly refused to accept the 1
sHb. 900. and it still remains in the state |
Treasury.
During those twenty.thrce years we |
had tho full cooperation and rcCOgni- |
4
Drew and his successors untl the mil |
lion and more were collected. vel
alsO had the co OperatiOn Of most
OF Florida CUngrcssmtn, includ /
ing Senator Pasco. and Hons Charles |
Doughcrty and Gen. Robert Bullock |
No Governor eyer made the rlgAtcat |
objection 10 the contract ar TO our ser, |
vice hereunder Although the subject |
OF these claims was frequently before |.
the Legislatures dufiuy The twenty |
three years no Legislature ever made /
any Objcctiuh, but every Leg stature |
has acquiesced in IL
A joint committee Investigated my |
claim during the session Of 1903, and |
after q thorough sitting Of the facts,
and the examination of all who could
throw any light upon IL, among them
the Congressman above named, all the
cabinet officers under whose admins.
tratlUns ! had done the work, including
many OF the leading citizens of Florida,
the committee, through It's chairman,
Senator w. A, Blount, reported that il
was a valid contract, and that the ser
vice under it had been performed. and
that Mr.. WALES was entitled To the
the amount claimed under 10
In 1887 the Florida Legislature passed
A resolution to accept sg2 Gis %, and
1892 600 Of State bonds. n fun settle.
mont Of all Florida claims against the
United States, / defeated that settle.
nent In the Congress OF the United
States, and had the pleasure Of finally
securing by our efforts six years later
nearly a million dollars more for Flor.
da than he offered TO settle for i'm
1877.
viii not the reputation Of this con
tract ior all time affect the credit OF
Florida Inv the financial world2
Respectfully,
s. / WALES.