The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-03-20
MATHEWS REPLY TO GENERAL
ELLIS
Barlow. Fla. March u. 1908.

Barlow, Fla. March u. 1908.
To the Editor 0cala Banner:
As Attorney General Ellis recently
published an open letter addressed to
me or account of an editorial appear
ing in my paper, the Polk County Re
cord, wish TO let the public know a
little more about the subject
In Mr.. Ellis's open letter be prac-
tically admits my contention, except
In his misconstructiOR Of one part of
my editorial never said that his
opinion was based upon or founded
upon Governor Broward's suggestion
or ideas, but I meant TO convey the
idea that by reason of Governor
Broward's having claimed for two or
three years from the stump and
through the press that the school fund
was entitled TO % per cent Of the
proceeds Of the public lands, and hav-
ing requested an opinion from Mr.. FL
lis upon this subject, that the opinion
a result Of the suggestion or agita-
ton of Governor Broward. I did not
mean that Mr.. Ellis's opinion was not
honestly given upon the law. but
claim that the governor was the lead
er in the matter, and Mr.. Ellis does
not deny this. What I kicked on in
my editorial was the apparent effort
OF certain corporation papers to give
Mr.. Ellis more credit than was due
and at the same time actually not
even give the man who had brought
up and pushed the question any credit
whatever. ! understand the tactics Of
these papers. They wanted to mislead
the public, and just at this time, upon
the eve OF the primary. make the peO-
pie think that Mr.. Ellis was doing
wonders for the school fund.
AS a matter of fact, the state school
board, al a meeting when Mr.. Ellis
was absent, about three months be-
fore he rendered his opinion. passed q
resolution declaring that the school
fund was entitled to 25 per cent. Of
the proceeds of the public lands, and
made a demand on the internal i'm
provement board for the same. They
acted without his opinion three
months before he rendered il. Why
didn't certain papers praise the entire
board for this action, as they were
some months ahead of the attorney
general on the proposition. Couldn't
IL be a matter of politics with these
papers? The law has been the same
since long prior to the time the pres
ent attorney general went into Office.
He talks about a servant of the people
being bound to perform this cOnstitu-
tional duty and what he proposes to
do. Then why has he, regardless Of
this constitutional duty for about four
years past, failed TO do the cOnstitu-
tional duty that a servant Of the peO-
pie Is bound to perform?
The school fund has suffered to the
extent OF many thousands Of dollars
during bis term of ofice. yet not IN
I'll February 5, 1903. just on the eve
Of a primary. did we ever hear Of his
advising or advocating that the school
fund was entitled to this part of the
proceeds of the public lands. [ ask
the question why? Ignorance or neg,
lect Of duty on the part of the legal
adviser of the state cabinet l still
think the attorney general has played
a second fiddle in this transaction
and that the Times-Union and True
Democrat were unfair in not telling
the whole story and in ignoring Gov
ernor Broward's efforts in the matter
Very truly.
G. G.. MATHEWS.