The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-04-12

age OF the Everglades ana MS eugges-
tion that law be enacted for the con-
troll Of the press. He should have kept
in mind the fate of Governor Penny
packer of Pennsylvania, who tried TO
gag the newspapers Of that State. IL
he is right in his Everglades policy he
ought to be able to uphold It, He GER
tainly has the support of some of the
brightest papers OF the State IN the
Everglades matter. The fact that ne
wants a gag law will be interpreted in
some quarters as meaning that he has
the weaker side of the controversy. -
Savannah Mornings News.
Things are getting red hot in ITALIA
hassee. The Governor, with a whole
sale load of pique aboard, is not cutting
much ice. It don't pay to try to run
everything, .GovernOr-not even news
papers, or TO muzzle them. Times
Union Short Talks.
Astonishment will grow with the fur
ther consideration of the Governor
astounding message. 1t was expected
that he would at least try TO vindicate
his course and to show some reason for
his position in the drainage matter,
since the irrigation and drainage ex-
perts have testified to the lack of the
necessary information on which to be-
gin work Of such cost and magnitude.
He does nothing of the kind 1t was
thought that he would vindicate his de-
lberate refusal to abide by test chos-
en- by himself and his refusal to obey
the wishes of the people expressed at
the polls. He does nothing of the sort.
Since discomfort had been loudly eX-
pressed with the ruling that the Internal
Improvement Board was an independent
power, owing nothing to its creator, it
was to have been expected that he
would show law for this contempt of
legislative authority. Here he only
provides a request for investigation TO
be produced when another had been
1a, and in this he deliberately de
clares his utter confidence in the inno-
cence, ability and integrity~of the men
for whom he demands ttgatfop AZ
the cost of the State. Why should he
show desire to involve the State in
unnecessary expense? Then comes his
desire to project candidate for Office
without any equal desire to protect the
other party. The Governor knows fun
we'll that, during the campaign, he
made far more damaging charges
against the intents and purposes, hon
State than they made against him.
These charges must have greatly dam
aged such papers, the Times-Union in
cluded, had the people believed them
for a day. Certainly they did not. for
those attacks on the candidate and his
policies were endorsed by the people
and the courts. Moreover, they have
since been sustained by incontrovertible
facts, for every one Of the promises on
which the Governor founded his prom
ises have fallen fiat before experience
Has his claims as to time or cost Of
drainage been justified? They have
been refuted in the sight of all men.
Have we learned on investigation that
the Governor was right in saying that
the character of the lands within the
Everglades was shown by the character
of those on the edges? Commissioner
Meade declares thereverse. Instances
might be multiplied, but one of these
is enough to show that the work of ex-
position and explanation done by some
papers in the State saved the people
millions of dollars. And yet, in the
face of this showing, the Governor
dares ask that such work be no longer
possible in this State, that the papers
Ue deprived Of their right to enter into
political or business campaign against
a self constituted champion of any old
cause, good. bad or Indifferent, and
that the people be left TO The tender
mercics Of such knowledge as candi-
dates like n y. BroWard choose TO
offer for public consumption. The mes
sage would deserve , place IN comic
opera were 10 not sad TO see 10 emenate
from I'm official O. ,hlS state Ard then