The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-04-27

n4alady OF southern journalism as IL /
we'll could be. It either pulled every !
body and everything beyond reason, |
or it blaekguarded everybody and ey-
erythins. Each OF the offices (the
Courier and the Journal had just then
been consolidated) was stocked with
the riff-raffs of dead-beats and drunk
ards"
They were not all dead-beats and
drunkards, were they, Mr.. Waiter
SOM"
oh, no; OF course there were ex-
ceptions. / am speaking of them in
the main. It was the time-honored
habit OF most OF them to get drunk
every day
Going back to the saying of the
bright young editor that Jacksonville
is without a daily newspaper, perhaps
he made that observation because il
is publicly rumored that Mr.. Flagler
or the Florida East Coast railway.
and perhaps other railways of the
state, hold a certain amount of stock
in the Times-Union.
l was told, not by Mr. Flagler, but
by one who once held an important
place on the Times Union, that Mr..
| Flagler's interest in il was purely &C
cidental and patriotic. That he had
no desire for newspaper fame nor for
the emoluments that newspapers are
supposed to pile up.
At that time the Times-Union was
in their patriotic desire to give to the
people of Florida a newspaper at
once creditable and praiseworthy
they overtaxed their financial re-
| sources. and as Mr. Flagler was in
terested in the states development he
was appealed to to take stock in the
| enterprise. He did so cheerfully, be-
/ cause he was interested in the states
material growth. For the cash he ad-
vanced he was given bonds bearing
1 six per cent. interest, payable semi
/ annually-a perfectly legitimate
/ transaction. When the six months ex-
pired, instead of paying interest there
were so many things to be done to
put the plant on a paying basis that
he was induced to advance more mon
ey and take more bonds. 1t was the
story of Oliver Twist repeated. The
cry was for more. more. In the mean
into factions. and the Times-Union
was supposed to be hostile to the in
| terests represented by Mr. Flagler.
so another newspaper was started in
Jacksonville, and Mr. Flagler was
again appealed to on patriotic
grounds to take stock in it also. He
did So Neither investment proving
pleasant or profitable, and growing
tired of putting up" for both of
them he effected consolidation. This
paper is now supposed to be on a
paying basis, and if it has not paid off
it's obligations, it is rapidly doing so.
That. at least, is my understanding.
This brings up the question: Has
man who is interested in the devel-
opment of a state, who has builded
railroads, hotels, planted groves and
converted wastes and marshes into
beauty spots, rights that other people
are bound to respect? Has he right
to own a newspaper or own stock in
a newspaper, or be on friendly terms
with a newspaper. When he is smit-
ten on one cheek, to gain the respect
turn the other, or hit back hip and
thigh?
| honor the school which says:
Lay on MacDuff: and damn'd be
1t seems to me that the "do-alls
should have at least as much voice in
the administration of the government
as the "do-nothings;" that the boom
ers" should be put on an equal foot
ing with the knockers"
Those who refuse to subscribe tC
this proposition, it occurs to me, are
opposed to the doctrine of Equal
rights to all; special privileges tc
none"
Along the same lines Mr. William
]. Bryan, in a public utterance, re
Gently accused the criminal corpora
tons of owning many of the great
newspapers of the country, and ex
plains that lit is not now possible tc
learn who owns the stock of these
Journals" He would like to have 6
law passed Ito make those assassins
come out of the dark and stand be
fore the public gaze
In the Commoner of April eth he
says that the predatory interests
never sleep. They have their Off
GERS named for governors, senators
! representatives and wherever an Of
flee is TO be filled. They are now
laying their plans" he says, Ito cap
ture the national democratic conven
ton and nominate a candidate who
will be satisfactory to the Wall Street
interests
One hates TO have his idols shat
tered. The Ocala Banner was the
first newspaper in Florida. and prob
ably the first in the United States
that hoisted Mr. Bryan's name at its
. masthead for president of these Unit
ed States. He has been hOnored by
the democratic party more than JET
fersOn, its founder: more than Jack
son. more than Cleveland, more thar
any other democrat in the nation has