The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-03
r1ersda's strenuous Executive Has Of
 Ace Full of work Due to Coming LegisIation--J. T. Lewis Named as Convict rnspector--A Suit for LebeI
ny '. N. REESE.


 Tallahassee, Fla, March 2.--(Spe- cial.)--But little of political import ance has shown upon the surface at the State House for the. past two days About the only event of interest was fhe appointment of John T. Lewis Of Marion County as Convict Inspector { Mr. Lewis succeeds to the place made vacant by Newton A Biitch. who took his place on the Railroad Commission In January.
 Appointments made by Governor Broward are attended with much pro- crastination and the wearing away or much tissue undoubtedly on the part of applicants. It has taken the Gov ernor several weeks to make selec- ton of a successor to MT. Blitch, al- though he had about 150 applicants to choose from. This would indicate that public office is not going begging in Florida Apropos the office of private secretary to the Governor still remains open. But as the press of work is on the executive office and the Legisla- ture Is within month of convening there is little likelihood that the Gov srnor will score his usual record of deliberation in the making of this ap- pointment.
 Jennings Sues an Artist.
 An event of State wide interest is the suit brought by former Governor Jennings against Alfred St. Clair Abrams, editor of The Tavares Herald, and his cartoonist, A. K. Taylor, the trial of which was set for March 6 in the Criminal Court of Record in Jack sonvIlle.
 The offensive cartoons represented Governor Jennings as having proftted during his administration beyond the usual emo1uments of office. Nand were printed during the recent drainage campaign waged through the State by asrA q &6S tAv a tG~ sue being a constitutional amendment to authorize the levy of special tax for drainage purposes. Governor Broward was the leading advocate for the ratification of the amendment, and he was ably assisted by former Govern or Jennings, who took the stump In support of the proposed amendment.
 MT. Abrams Is a lawyer who owns & country paper at Tavares, which shows the vigor of strenuous editorial man. agement only during political cam- paigns. This paper printed series of cartoons of the former Governor in his speeches before the people which were so objectionable to the former Execu- tive that he filed suit after the cam paign for criminal libel
 Several postponements of the hearing have been granted. but it now looks as if another will be unavoidable for the reason that the Judge of the Criminal IA4 1s sent from Jacksonville for weeks and has not been heard from. If he does not arrive in time to convene the court and makes no request for the appoint ment of a substitute. the suit will be again deferF&d.
 Interest an the action Is general be- cause of tkS# notable list Of witnesses who have been summoned, and it is un- derstood that the inside political his- tory of the Jennings administration will be made public for the first time.
 Among the witnesses are Henry M :. Flagler andssthe lobbyists who have been maintained in the F1agler inter- ssts for years in Florida. It was dur ing the administration of Governor Jennings that the Flagler divorce bill was enacted into law and signed by Governor Jennings By the provisions of this measure, MT. Flagler was given divorce from his demented wife. and was permitted to marry his present wife again. It is openly charged that 1t cost the East Coast magnate a snug fortune to have this measure put through the Florida Legislature, and there has been a question as to who received the money, if money was spent for improper purposes. It is anticipat- ed that testimony along this line will produce a sensation that will cause the public to sit up and take notice of the pending libel suit
 Taylor, the cartoonist defendant is connected with Tom Watson's Jeffer- Sonian Magazine. He was previously connected with The TaIlahasse Sun, and was doing work for that publication when the cartoons of the objectionable character appeared in The Tavares Herald. It is said that this incident caused breach between the editor of The Sun and the cartoonist and his connection with the latter publication was cancelled. The Sun was as vigor- ously supporting the drainange amendment as The Herald was oppos- Ang it, and the cartoonist found time to play on both sides.
 An amusing side of the matter, as serious as 1t may appear to the de. 1endants and the plaintiff as we'll was the toculSr manner in which it was treated by the editor of The Sun with whom Taylor had been associated. Tn, cartoonist was living in Jacksonville at the time. Some time previously h, had made a series of cartoons repre-, senting the turpentine interests of tho State as a tramp in coarse brogans and shredded trousers, reduced to thii state of penury by the Shotter maya stores combine in Savannah. The pow. CT of the naval stores interests il Florida politics is undisputed and whil, The Sun was opposing this faction tn, editor could not resist the chance O. making life miserable for his frient of the artistic calling. So he begar the sending of telegrams to the artis in Jacksonville, which reached him al all hours of the night and day. I was not unusual for a messenger t, ring the bell at the artists house fl the dead of night and deliver a mes sage which read thus succintly. "Yol will not be pardoned (Signed) Ol, Turps' or Now will I have my re venge," signed by the same malevo lent person. State Road Is Proposed.
 Senator Mcwilliams of St. Angus, fine has announcAd that he will nra.