The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-06-07

since II ~ ms, since ne ~ Fppslpiel
and because he has the right 70 know
Why debate that right and assume that
an attack Is made on the character Of
Judgment Of thofe who handle public
money when the same s0ppositiOng are
never advanced 20 deny request for
accounting IN private ahairs2 The
man who handles public money or holds
a position too long seems TO conclude
that nc has property In his Office and q
vested right In his responsibilities.
The best men Of our state have sat
on the board Of internal Improvement;
| Florida statesmen whom the people
have delighted 10 honor and still reYef-
ence have served the state as men1bs ~
OF the board which redeemed the public
| lands from the hammer, gave as our
system of railroads and made The
| Florida OF today possibility. But
when bill asking for an accounting -
! introduced and accountants are put
upon the books, do the present or for
mer members Of the board consider
themselves insulted? Do we hear Il
urged that the state must not ask for
balance sheet lest somebody's feelings
get sOre7 That case is well put by the
Tampa Times in It's discussion OF the
statements published by the True
Democrat.
fit Is true that sales Of land belong
ing 10 the state have been made with
out publicity, without advertising,
without Offering the lands 20 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 81 the lands Of
the state at private sale, and It may
not. But common honesty, ordinary
decency, fidelity TO the people, all for
bid 1t with an emphasis that no honor
able man can resist. When state lands
are sold 10 individuals without publ
city, bid or check, at prices far below
their real worth, and then are speedily
resOld by the buyers at q great profit,
as Is directly alleged 20 be the case, no
further evidence of graft is necessary
70 convict the perpetrators In the pub
lie opinion. There may be no law
against IL, bat the criminals should
none the less be dashed by public ex-
posture and the scOrn Of all honest men.
Trustees of the internal improve
ment fund welcome the proposition for
"a balance sheet. They are anxious TO
render an account of their work and be
done with II. Unless there are special
hpNboHb W IOHipSl ulltItHt hbblluQet
we cannot see why the members of all
public boards should not furnish bal
ance sheet whenever requested TO do so
and especially when rumOrs ahoat inn
peach the wisdom Of the board in deal
ing with public interests and public
money, Times Union.
That is II In nutshell, the True Dem
ocrat cannot stoopt to branding the gem
tlemen, singly, or as board as graft
ers, has never done so, and does not
now do so This newspaper has re-
peatedly charged them with sacrificing
lands, usurpation Of power, all Of which
charges the people Of Florida are now
perfectly familiar with, and which
there rs no necessity for repeating and
reiterating; but the action Of recent
dates IN throwing obstruction in the way
Of the / /. investigation, allowing moth
ing 10 be reported but statistics, which
could have just as easily been gotten
from the printed reports and statements,
and nos clearing up anything connected
with these cheap land sales, etc.. leaves
the whole matter with DARK CLOUD
still hanging over IL, and IL that kind
Of MEDICATION suits the people of Flor
ida, then we shall let the matter rest.
A remarkable feature connected with
the general winding up, and spreading
Df that report on the journals, how
ever, was the similarly which the No
bic Report in connection with the dis
graceful asylum scandals were handled.
Be II remembered, that report was
caused to be terribly batchered, liber-
ally blue penclled from A to.z, before
Il was allowed 10 60 into the Legisla-
ture, In It's closing hours, and Mr.. No
BILE was abused and threatened. that !
nothing would be paid in the way of ox-
penses for the work done. IL he did not
yield TO the bosses" who were manip-
llating things at the Capitol to prevent
light being thrown on the subject mat
Ter that had been investigated. The
rrue Democrat holds In It's possession
! complete copy Of all that testimony,
which was fled with as In case II was
needed again, but up 70 date It has not
been called FOR. Il may make interest
ng reading some day, The whole I. l.
Investigation up to date Il . complete
,arce, and q white wash, and those
Of the old committee who
49,. l....A..N.A a |