The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-12-26
THE uLrERIoR MOTIVE

seemed to project the nicely gotten up |
press dispatches OF Mr.. Alvin q. Rob- |
erts of Jacksonville into the space of |
the Florida country press, and at the |
risk Of being considered tedious it de- |
sires to inquire into the whenceness
of their which again.
The first of these elaborate COM
that came the Stars way
were glowing descriptions of the Gid
den tour. interviewer with their shin
ing fabric were nice little puffs for
certain make of automobile, and
careful comparison OF them with gen.
uine press dispatches showed that they
were not worth continental con-
denim as news. AS that particular
auto factory did not advertise with the
Star, and as the editor can write the
very best of special dispatches with
his scissors, most of Mr.. Roberts gilt
edged communications found their re-
posing place in the waste basket, tho
we did use some Of the best with an
alacrity that gives US slight pain In
our conscience as We write this.
Then came one-a very good and
timely one-in regard to vagraney,
which we used with approval. A little
later came one which in it's guise of
food laws of the state; this we called
attention to in a short article which
was reproduced with approval by some
of our more independent contempor-
aries. We supposed that by so doing
we had put the Star on Mr.. Roberts
blacklist, and indeed for some time his
elegant copy did not come this way.
But, the other day, another of his
elaborate communications refreshed
our wearied eyes, and rewarded our
eager perusal with another lovely re-
port of the good work being done in
the South in suppressing vagrancy.
Now, IL there is one thing more
than another outside of actual crime
that the Star wants to see suppressed.
it is vagraney. man who can work
and has no honorable means Of support
except work, and won't work, is not
much better than thief, and general
ly does more harm than thief. The
Star believes that all such, II they
won't work for themselves, should be
compelled to work for the state, and it
is quite sure il they were all put to
work the burden on those who work
now would be much lighter, and
equally sure that the list of crime
would he much shortened, for almos.
as surely as water finds it's level does
idleness, in our complex civilization
lead to theft and even to murder.
But the Star wants to see vagrancy
eliminated legally in response &c
healthy public sentiment. 1t does not
want to see unfortunate men rounded
up and railroaded into worse thar
slavery in order that some corpora
ton may obtain their work at a higf
profit to itself.
The Star has no spite against Mr.
Roberts, but it thinks it very likely
that his elegant dispatches are writer
at the behest of some organization
well able to pay for them. 1t did no
question his booming the Cadillac car
which is splendid machine, but i
had a right to rent the vail he huns
over his attack on the pure food law
and now It wants to know who i:
paying for this crusade against vag
raney.
Some of the newspapers of Florida
are VIGOROUSLY mercenary. but mos
OF them are Independent and outspok
en-. Unfortunately the majority of tn,
independent sheets are not rich, ant
very often a nicely gotten up specia
letter on some live subject appeal
most irresistibly to the hardworket
editor, and he prints 1t without read
ing it closely enough to discover tn,
"ulterior motive" Now, there is
great difference between a determined
attempt by the officers Of the law
backed by public sentiment, to sup
press vagrancy, and a manhunt b.
deputies, police and petty magistrates
trying to amass fees by railrOadins
every man out of a job to the mines
and camps, where his unpaid for worl
will not only increase the illgottel
gains of his enslavers, but add to tn,
number of his fellow slaves by reduc
ing the number Of paid-for jobs. Their,
is also a difference between honest ed
itorial opinion and elaborate specia
letters that somebody must pay goot
price for having written and mailed
In the Stars opinion, editorial utter
ance will lead to the diminution If no
the entire elimination of vagrancy
and the special letters. if they achiev,
their object, will result in slavery
The Star would be very glad to Sc,
concerted attack on vagrancy b,
the independent press OF the state
Such an attack is it's duty and within
its province. 1t would be an homes
performance Of public duty, becaus,
II "colu ne unpaid IOF but the pres
and the public may we'll scrutiniz
very closely any literature that pal,
writer sends out free at very evi
dent considerable expense to some
body. There is always an Interior mo
tive, or in less elegant language,
niger in the woodpile.
1t would be difficult to exaggerat
the horrors of the state of affairs tina
could be created by an organized eff
fort to exploit vagrancy for profit.
successful, any unfortunate man, n.
matter how honest and Industrious
would be liable to become the victim
OF slavery far worse than tina
which caused our great civil war. TIL
incentive that such system woul,
be to corrupt officials to multiply thei
fees. and the power it would Civ
them over the weak, would be an evi
that would sap the very foundation
OF our Institutions. Such a system /
one of the abuses that caused TIL
Mexican revolution. Under it, tn
freedom of men and even honor OF wo
politico," and thousands of human be
ings were worked and starved t
death. 1t seems unreasonable to sup
pose such things could happen in thi
country, but there Is no telling wher
an evil will stop when 1t once com
mences.
Let us therefore do our best to Sc
that the lazy eat their bread in tn
sweat OF their brows, but let us ais
be careful that the laws intended [