The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-05-24
COME DOWN TO
BUSINESS WAYS.
Precedent Nsr Cheap Sales and The
Riaht 70 Sell for What We Please


Riaht 70 Sell for What We Please
The quotation in the second head
lines is from published interview, just
after the Joseph Jennings Sale BY The
Board, at 4la cents an acre: Below we
reproduce two articles, one from the
Tampa Times, and another from the
Times-Union, commenting on as:
GIVE THE FULL FACTS.
II it is true that sales of land belong
ing to the state have been made with
out publicity, without advertising, with
out offering the lands to the world for
competition, the men who did il should
be fired from office summarily. They
may plead that the law does not forbid
their dispOsing Of the lands Of the state
at private sale, and IL may not. But
common honesty, ordinary decency, A.
deity to the people, all forbid it with
an emphasis that no honorable man can
resist
When state lands are sold 20 individ-
uals without publicity, bid or check. at
prices far below their real worth, and
then are speedily resold by the buyers
at great profit, as is directly alleged
to be the case, no further evidence Of
graft is necessary to convict the perpe-
traitors in the public opinion. There
may be no law against il, but the erin
inals should none the less be dashed BY
public exposure and the scorn of en-
honest men. Tampa Times,
COME DOWN To BUSINESS WAYS.
The Tallahassee True Democrat has
been talking about the methods and the
business of the internal improvement
trustees--if the press had been gagged as
per late effort in that direction, there
could have been no such talk in public
matters in which all the people are In
terested And when the editor Of the
True Democrat was called before the
committee Of investigation, he told
lot more than he had printed, and then
published his testimony there's pub
lefty for you. IL Mr.. Collins Is right
there should be correction, and, per-
haps, punishment. IL he ~ wrong the
highest interests of the innocent are
best served by giving them a chance 20
answer plain charges openly put. Why
should there be objection and attempts
TO hide such matters
Says the True Democrat
The chief points of the examination
were, of course, the recent remarkable
sales Of public land at sacrifice prices,
made without any attempt at publicity
or competition, and followed almost inn
mediately by resales by the fortunate
purchasers at enormously advanced
prices, thus evideneing their specula-
tive character. In giving his testimony
the editor of the True Democrat, as he
has always done in these columns, dis
iained the making Of charges Of willful
pr deliberate dishonesty on the part Of
any of the trustees, but reaffirmed his
belief in the accusations of abuse of
power, wasting Of the property Of the
people and obstinate misinterpretation
II the laws governing their tlansac-
lctiOns. Among others, he cited the
ase Of the Bars sale at 80 cents per
ere, that Of sales made by Arthur
{. Williams, and that Of the more re-
ent sale of Joseph Jennings as instan-
es Of secret and ill-considered sales Of
Dublic land to those who almost imme-
lately resold at high prices, the bene-
Il of which should have been secured
n the interest Of the State and people
" the trustees
This is plain talk and the answers
hOuld be just as plain. Delay will only
reed suspiciOn-if men who stand so
Ugh and enjoy such consideration at our
ands have done wrong, we should
now IL, and they should be told of il,
nd the sooner the issue is fought out
he better for all concerned. AZ pres
MT there is no charges worse than mis-
axes or misunderstanding of the law,
nd II is neglect Of the beginnings that
lesson into graft and make scandals.
We commend the True Democrat and
Is editor. Now let US hear the other
ide. Times Union, 18th.