Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-05-27

On Friday last Governor Giichrist
sent q special message % ne Legis-
l.furo on ire Wales claim IN the
opinion az The Index. there vas no
special reason Tor sen6ing On q NEE
sage on this subject az this time. a.
beth bralches Of TIE Legislature had
previously declined 10 favorabiy con
sider TIE Wales claim
Bat the Gvemors message. which
covered fifteen pages % closely type
written legalcsip sheets. offered nt-
tie n anything new a. regard % The
history or merits Of the claim. An
explanation a. % Why h. Thought the
$500 appropriated SIX years ago.
and a suggestion e. 10 a division be
tween WALES and Beard. we're IN
cluded IN ne message; but these. TOO.
are Intangible.
In another message 20 the Senate
~ Monday. the Governor. I'm referring
20 the Wales claim message. stated
that certain newspapers Of tne state
cad intlmated. directly or Indirectly.
ttat the Legislature had repudiated
ire States solemn obligation and
Tat IN order 20 have the people
know that the honor Of the State Is
protected. be had sent copies o. the
message 90 these newspapers for pub
iloaflon. but 50 far they had refused
% DO 90.
The Governor. On the opinion Of The
Index. cannot consistently feel az
grIeved because this message has not
been printed. It's contents would hn
the columns Of t-e average weekly
paper. % the utter exclusion % an
other matter. and the larger papers.
with sufficient space 20 carry the
message. might easily be forgiven f0r
devOting their columns 90 real. live
news matter. Besides. those news
papers that have taken the time and
trouble % examine into the merits Of
TIE Wales claim. may be prrdOned
Tor entertaining views different from
those expressed in the Governors
message. especially after considering
the able and exhaustive report sub
mitfed By the Senate Committee OF
1893. and reported 20 the Senate over
the signature Of w. A. BlOunt. Act
ing Chairman
So far a. The Incex knows. the
present Legislature has not been
charged with regulating the obliga-
tons Of the State. but Il cannot be
denied that a. long as Colonel Wales
IL denied the right 20 have his claim
adiudieated By the courts Of the
state the conclusion f. inevitably
forced upon The Index. and other
newspapers Of the State. and the
people Of Florida generally. that the
Legislature. though not regulating
the claim. is creating a condition with
similar results.
No better argument has been Offer
Cd IN support Of the effort Of Colonel
Wales friends 20 get this claim into
the courts Of the State than Is con
tained Ga the Governors message a.
SELF This document. from the begin
Ing % end. a. a mass OF acts. con
tracts. resolutions. accounts. opinions.
guesses. conclusions and other more
mystifying and confusing matter that
positively and forever precludes the
average legislat0r-for no other rea-
son than lack Of time % study law and
histoy-from mastering the details
0f the claim. that a reasonable and
Just conclusion might BE- reached
The Index having been one Of the
Governors most ardent supporters iu
the last campaign. and feeling that
les editor can sin claim the right 20
be BIS friend. writes this In explana
ton and defense Of the country press
OF Florida. those papers which were
his strongest supporters when he
needed them. and which DO not de-
serve his censure.-Lake City In
dex. May 2i.
The Efaafrnmaa Valley Gazette