The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-08-08

| Tallahassee, Aug. Within the
next few days, Benjamin H. Bridges,
who was removed from Office of as
siStant state chemist by Governor
Gilchrist and the senate during the
legislative session of 1909, will apply
to the courts for writ Of quo war
ranto. which will bring into question
the legality of his removal
The suit will be brought by Neel-
ey and Simmons, of Tallahassee, and
they express themselves as fully
confident that there was Heither leg
al nor moral warrant for Mr.. Bridges
removal.
1t Will be remembered that Mr..
Bridges was removed from Office up
on a charge of malfeasance in Of
flee, In that he agreed to use his in
f1uence in behalf Of senate bill No.
z31, which bill was introduced by
Senator Joseph H. Humphries and
provided that all beverages contain
ing two Fer cent or more of alcohol
quor. L. c. Algee, an official stenog-
Fapher. OF the senata u is claimed
addressed q communication to the
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company,
advising of the introduction of the
Dill. setting FORTH its effects on the
nearbeer business. and profering his
services IN its behalf for one thous-
and dollars
THE SOURCE.
Instead of accepting this PROPOSE
tion the SchlitZ people sent the Iet-
ter to their Jacksonville branch.
whence it was sent to the senate
A committee of the senate waited
upon Mr.. Algee, and asked him the
the source of certain technical in
formation contained in his letter. He
replied that Mr.. B. H. Bridges. as
sistant state chemist, had furnished
him the information, and that he had
also privately agreed to assist him
IN an endeavor to get the bill passed.
for a consideration of half the money
requested, provided the SchIitz peo-
pie should accept the proposition. Mr.
Bridges being brought before the
committee, frankly admitted all that
Mr.. Algee had said.
Thereupon the committee reported
to the senate, Mr.. Algee was dis
charged, and the governor was re-
quested to remove Mr.. Bridges from
office, which he did, and in which the
senate concurred. The contention
OF Mr.. Bridges and his attorneys is.
that his agreement with Mr.. AIgee
did not amount to malfeasauce in
Office, and that he would not have
violated any law Of the land, even
If his agreement had been carried
into effect. He was not charged with
lobbying, nor with having any pav
Inn huf IN hTTF
privately agreed to do so upon a
contingency that never happened.
The constitution of Florida enum-
crates the grounds upon which an eff
f1cer may be removed, and Nessrs.
Medley and Simmons feel confident
that Mr.. Bridges agreement did not
amount to any Of these grounds. III
this be true, then the governor and
the senate acted without authority,
and their action was, therefore, void
FEELS THE INJUSTICE.
There have neen many rumors and
concerning Mr.. Bridges connection
with this unfortunate affair, and
many of these reports have done him
a gross injustice, in that they have
ascribed to him wrongful acts of
which he was not GLiity- He keenly
feels the injustice that has thus been
done him Id states that his main
incentive in bringing the suit is to
set himself right before the people of
his state The statement Of the case
here given IS taken from a certified
COPY of the proceedings Of the com
mittee which conducted the investi-
cation, and is the first accurate
statement of the matter ever given
to the press