The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-11

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In a two column CONFUSION, which
occupies all of its editorial page not
taken up with corrections Of errors ad-
mitted to have been made in its issue
of the day before, the Pensa cola News
Of last Saturday proceeds to lambast
the Lakeland News because the latter
presumed to intimate that there might
be a trace Of clay in the composition of
It's idol, w. a. BlOunt. It was all called
forth by an inOfensive paragraph
which appeared in this paper, setting
forth that when BlOunt was a Candi-
date for the Office of United States
senator the Pensacola papers hooted
the suggestion that, because Of his long
and intimate association with corpora
tons, his senatorial toga might show a
tinge of the corporation hue; but when
the Pensacola charter was before the
Legislature, these same papers strongly
intimated, and with adverse criticism,
that this same Mr.. Blount, who
wouldn't do such a thing in the United
States senate, was perniciously active
in shaping the framework of that char
ter in a manner pleasing to certain
corporations which he serves.
Were the editor of the Lakeland
News as devoid of a sense Of the jour
nalistic prOprieties as the inane and
rambling scribbler who spread this
two column ebullitiOn of rot over the
editorial page of the Pensacola News,
he might take cogniZance of the un-
called-fOr filings at this paper with
which this diatribe was introduced. As
the Lakeland News assuredly requires
no certificate OF competency from the
Pensacola News to establish its posi-
tiOn among the newspapers Of Florida,
it passes over these unEra ciOus and
unethiCal outbursts of feeble minded
frenzy with COntemptuOuS Indifference;
only remaTking, en- PEASANT, that no
one will ever accuse the Pensacola
News Of "smartness" as long as it turns
its editorial page over to the janitOr
as in this instance apparently was the
case. Heaven knows why, or what the
writer was driving at, but some ref
erence to gender" was made in this
screed. From the rambling, verbose
sCOlding style employed, we make one
guess as to the gender" Of the writer
venturing the assertion that il must be
an old woman in pants.
And so to the facts: The Pensacola
Journal, a paper which at all times
stands up for the rights Of the people
did plainly and properly CritiCise w.
A. BIOunt because he attempted to OBJ
struct certain provisions Of the Pensa-
cola charter bill which were undesir-
able to sundry COrpOratiOns-these
same provisions being in inverse ratio,
desirable to the people Of Pensacola.
Our comment was based0n this article
and we made the mistake Of using the
word papers" because we innOCentlY
jumped at the conclusion that both the
papers of Pensacola would line up on
the same side when it came to a con-
test between the rights of the people
and the greedy demands of the COrpO-
ratiOns. Herein lay our mistake. We
conceded to the Pensacola News what
seemed to us a natural interest in be-
half of the community from which it
receives it's living; we lined that paper
up with the masses-with the citizens
Of its home town, who were contend
ing for certain rights or privileges
sought to be wrcsted from them. We
credited it with disposition to check
the enCrO9 Chments Of corporate greed
But It appears We put it i'm the wrong
company, and we have received a stiff
ll-dOwn therefor. We win never re-
peat the Offense. We know now where
to place the Pensa cola News, and we
will leave it welded to its corporate
idols.
This paper has never had an unkind
word for Mr.. BlOunt. We consider him
great lawyer and a brilliant man.
We did not favor his election to the
United States senate, but throughout
the campaign we gave him and his
candidacy the most courteous treat
ment When a certain false rumor, in
furious to his candidacy was being
spread this paper was among the first
to deny it and to rebuke the unfairness.
We thought his opponent nearer to the
masses of the people, and we have as
vet had no reason to revise our opinion
not even from contemplation of his
attitude on this Pensacola charter
matter.