The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-06-05

organization of Duval county. including
Joe Lee and Mr.. D. 7. Gerow ana MI.
James P. Taliaferro.
The charge that 1 mingled and har-
angued with negroes to secure a re-elec-
ton is a falsehood deliberately told Tor
the purpose of prejudicing me in the
minds of the people as is also the charge
that the negroes Wallace and Wetmore
Were my trusted lieutenants.
The Supreme Court report c1ted con-
tains the following single sentence upon
which the charge that l discharged obh-
cations to negroes by appointing negro
jurors is based, viz: When n b. Brow
ard was sheriff a few colored men were
drawn on the juries." (55 Fla. lob Even
school boys know that lists OF jurors are
made up by the Board OF County Com
missioners and drawn by the Court ofn-
Gals out of the jury box, and the sheriff
has no more to do with it than any prl-
vate citizen. A juror. white or coiored,
could not possibly be selected by
language used by the Supreme Court.
Ask any lawyer. This Is on par with
the other evidence produced TO supstan-
tate these charges, and l pronounce the
charge that I have ever as sherln select
ed negro jurors as absolutely false. 1t IS
incredible that such ignorance should
be displayed and such tactics resorted to
by the educated and high minded man
Senator Taliaferro is said to be.
l do not understand what bearing the
Brownsville affair has on the issues OF
this campaign, and the method by which
which they attempt to connect me with
it shows the absurd length to which in
their desperation they will resort When
you have read my defense of the other
charges preferred against me, bear in
mind this fact: l have as complete a
defense of the actions of the Pardon
Board during my administration as I
have given to the other specious charges.
1t is impossible within the, limits of
this reply to undertake to explain in de-
tail the facts upon which the pardons
cited at length were granted by the Par
don Board. 1t is sufficient to say that
Pardon Board of this State will be large
~ to negroes, because ninety per cent Of
the criminal class. with which the Par
don Board must deal are negroes.
1t may be pertinent to say that the
records will show that in the first twelve
months of my administration there were
81 pardons granted and in the first
eleven months of the present admins
posed to pardons) 33, difference of only
four, with the last meeting of the Par
don Board for the year still to be re-
ported.
(Further on YOU will find the facts
about House Bill No. which I tell now
for the first time in this campaign be-
cause Senator Taliaferro has seen fit to
bring the negro into ito
Fifth-Joe Lee.
They charge that I have circulated re-
ports that Sena tor Talaferro is respon-
sibIe for Joe Lee remaining in office.
have never made any such statement,
neither have I authorized any person to
make it for me, but | now call to your
attention the fact that Mr.. Taliaferro
has done nothing to remove the condf-
tons which he claims have made It i'm
possible to secure Joe Lees removal.
sixth-The Race Track.
They charge that lobbied in the Flor
ida Legislature in the interest of the race
+5z,, oh,
absolutely false and ask why they do not
produce one single member of the Leisa-
ture that l lobbed with. There are 101
members and they could easily prove the
charge if it were true.
Seventh-Extravagant Expenditures OF
Public Money.
Senator Taliaferro charges in his
speeches that during my administration
as Governor there We're eXtravagant eX-
penditures of public money. I say in re-
Governor Their were constructed and
provided for more public buildings than
had been built before in the history OF
the State. including the University build
ingS at Gainesville. the school for Deaf,
Dumb and Blind at st. Augustine, Hos
pital for Insane at Chattahoochee. and
the Governors Mansion at Tallahassee
and others provided for.
Warning Against Eleventh Hour
Charges and Campaign Fa!sehoods Cir
culated Too Late to be Answered.
So far as L nave Deen able TO ascertain.
these are all the charges preferred
against me. I have answered them as
best l could in this short space. I sus-
pect that others will be forthcoming
when it is too late for me to possibly
refute them. ana I warn you beforehand
that they will be circulated for the sole
purpose of prejudicing your minds, and
pledge you that whatever they charge
could he answered to your satisfaction il
there wa time to do so.
Senator Taliaferro has been A candi-