The Pensacola journal., 1907-06-11
CRITICAL REVIEW of
The LEGISLATURE
BY A. n. Roberts.

!
been said in the press derogatory to
the record OF the legislature of 1907,
that a grave injustice is likely 10 be
done that body, should the defense
not be presented fairly and, as nearly
as the circumstances will allow, full
IIy.
II is manifestly impossible TO COW
er In a short space the aggregate
work of 100 men in 90 days time. re-
sulting in the enactment into law OF
go bills, excepting few vetoed by
the executive, or to go into the mul-
titude of reasons why other bills did
not become laws. There would be
no need for this or similar articles
II the criticism had been confined
to those who were the first to con-
denim the legislature, the ones who.
when the legislature convened, were
Ioudest in their predictions that it
! would raise thunder. generally in
crushing out of existence the men in
public office to-day who have had the
courage of their convictions in spite
of tie bitterest attacks that could
/ be made upon them. But the feel
ing that the session has been wasted
seems to extend beyond these, and
1t is very necessary that attention be
| called to facts which appear more
!
daily progress or lack of progress
during its entire session, than to
others, better informed upon public
matters, perhaps, but removed from
the scene of action
! This IS not written for the pur-
! pose OF enhancing the political pros
/ poets of any one man in the legisla-
/ ture of 1907, nor to reflect in any way
upon any one. Only two or three of
| the members were known to ME
when the session convened. In order
to eliminate everything of a personal
nature, this will treat exclusively of
the result of the legislature and the
reasons therefor, without considering
the personality of the men engaged.
What the Legislature Did.
The legislature sustained the pres
ent administration in the questions
of greatest Importance to the people.
1t passed a drainage act, making con-
stitutiOnal the act of 1905, which will
empower the executive to carry out
his pledges to the people to reclaim
the swamp and overflowed lands
granted the state in trust more than
half a century since. and which trust
the state, through its officials chosen
by the people for the past few years
has been trying to discharge. The
Legislature refused to stop this work
by Withholding the necessary legisla-
ton, il refused to go on record against
the proposition which both people and
Legislature have endorsed every time
it has been presented on its merits,
and to lie down Supinely, violate the
obligations of the state, and allow
the lands TO be grabbed" under color /
of legislative grants in violation of |
h. i~f4 hn lott of hn 10
covering the grants.
One branch adopted without a dis |
sen&ing vote resolution endorsing /
the action of the trustees of the in |
ternaI improvement fund and re-
quested that if necessary they pro /
tect the interests of the state in the |
highest courts in the land. The leg
iSlature passed an act comprising all !
the good features of the drainage |
amendment, which the people re
jected, and eliminating the more OBJ
jectiOnable ones. In short. on this |
question, the Legislature refused to
be misled into the belief that the peo-
pie in rejecting the amendment had
protested against the objects it sought
to accomplish, and took the reason
able and patriotic view-that the vote
was a demand that the legislature it
ing out the work in a manner accept
able to the people. !
Other Work Done.
1t provided for a geological survey
of the state, the compilation of agTi-
cultural and horticultural statistics,
and for the aid of annual fairs in two
parts of the state. measures which
may be instrumental in bringing IT.
to Florida more permanent settlers
and investors than any Of the bills
designed specifically to encourage
law that provides for the gather
ing of the agricultural and hOrticul-
tural statistics OF the state, one that {
Will bring to light its mineral re-
and one that provides proper
ly for practical demonstration Of
the resources and advantages We now
have, ought to be of importance in
presenting TO ourselves and the out J
side world what the state has and
can have. In the long run. it may
be seen that these three laws. while l
designed primarily for other and dis I
-lnct purposes, in the aggregate ac- !
what the legislature failed
- provide for by specific act And /
I the Everglades drainage scheme is ]
,arried out successfully, and throws I
open In time millions of acres of the l
lnest lands in the union, there will l
Dc no trouble in getting substantial '
armers and other producers to i'm I
Migrate. with little danger of bring I
ne IN pauper labOrers.
Franchise Taxation. -
1t established a principle of taxa Y
ION virtually a franchise tax after @
ne bold proposition TO tax franchises : Z
lad been lost in the senate. This was a
ne bill which became a law provid- O
ne for a railroad tax of ten dollars n
'er mile, a small amount, and one dtf- O
erlng IN principle from straighr-out d
ranchise tax Technically, it is a r
license tax" virtually q franchise s
ax. ,
1t passed laws placing the physical D
roperues of the railroads under the n
Gpervision of the railroad commits
ION, and strengthening that body in
ev3ral ways, principally by allowing e