The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-08
MAKE FIGHT
 FOR OFFICE A Small Scandal In
 Florida. STATE CHEMIST IS REMOVED Offered Services to Aid Near-Beer
 Legislation. ssnate Clerk whe Wrote ts Brewia< Cempany Loses Prkce-Mr. Bridges VIII Apply for
 . Writ.
STATE CHEMIST IS REMOVED
BY BRADFORD sYnp.

"A DAsH0R Ok&D ID IEDs
 Tallahassee. Fla. Aug. 7.-(speciai.) ,-what is expected to attract attention throughout the State of Florida within the next few days is the application by Benjamin H. Bridges. who was remov- cd from the onice of Assistant State Chemist by the Governor and the Sen. ate during the legislative session of 1908, to the courts for a writ of quo warranto. which will bring into ques- tion the legality. of his removal.
 Ills attorneys who will bring the suit express themselves as fully con- ndent that there was neither legal nor moral right for the removal of tho As- sistant state Chemist.
 It will be remembered that Mfr, Bridges was removed from office upon charge of maifeasnnos in ofhee In that he fs said to have agreed to use his influence in behalf Of Senate bin No. 2si. which had been introduced by Senator Joseph 1T. Humphries, and provided that all beverages containing per cent. or moro of alcohol should be deemed intoxiceting liquor. L. O. Agee. an ofiictal stenographer of the Senate is said to have addressed a communications to the Joseph Schiitz Brewing Company, advtsfng of the in- troduction of the biii, setting forth it's effects on the "near-beer'' business, and Slooo.
 Senators Investigate.
 Instead of accepting this proposi- eion the Schiitz people sent the letter Co their Jacksonville branch. whence ft went to the Senate. A committee ofsthe Senate waited upon Algee, and asked him the source Of certain tech- nical information contained in his iet- ter. He replied that B. H. Bridges, Assistant state Chemist, had furnish ed him with the information. and that he had also privately agreed with him to assist in an endeavor to get the bill passed for consideration of half the amount requested, provided the Schlftz people should accept the prop oaition. Mir. Bridges, being brought before the committee. frankly admit ted all that Alsee had said.
 Following this. the committee re- gee was dischargSd, and the governor was reauetsedl to remove Mir. Bridges from ofice. wtich he did, and the Sem ate concurred.
 The contentious of Bridges and his attorneys Is that his agreement with Algee did not amount to maIfeasance in office, and that he would not have VtoAagC0 any .A8 W VI AAtCf 4aAAds SFCH IT the agreement had been carried into effect- The charge against him was not for lobbying, nor with having re- ceived any pay for lobbying, but mere- iy with having privately agreed to do DO upon a contingency which never happened.
 The Constitution of Florida enumer- ates the grounds upon which an off, cer may be removed, and his attorneys are, confident that Mir. Bridges agree meht with Algee did not amount to any of these grounds. If their con- tentions are sustained by the courts then the Governor and the Senate acted without authority, and their action was. therefore, void.
 Claims an Hn1ustice.
 During the time of the hearing be- fore the Senate Committee, many ru- mors and reports appeared in the press and were gossiped elsewhere, concern ing Mr. Bridges connection with this affair; consequently he claims great injustice has been done him before the people of Florida, in that they ascribed to him wrongful acts of which he was not guilty. This he feels keen ly, and has stated, that his main in- centive in having this suit brought is to set himself right before the people of his State.
 It is the expectation of his attor- neys to place the application for writ of quo warranto before Judge W. H. Malone within the next few days.