The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-02-17
FORT FIRES "FAcks AND r,c
GERS
Lynne, Fla, Feb. IL, 1911


his convict bill. That If onoratos - =
favor OF the lessees and m;l,totas
against the tax payers Is furtban
SHOWN from the fact that the hill, -
qulres each person, after conv;ot;os
10 De Kept in the Jail five DAYS. at 4oc
per day, making 81 for each convict
and OF course this time counts On ~.
sentence In loss to the tax payer Of
20 Ior time, 81 for feed, making 81 for
eacn convict before he earns one cont
me lessee can pick and cnll amona
men, take such as he chooses. leav-
ing the balance on our hands IF anv-
one ne takes shows UP disabled ba
can With impunity throw him haol,
on our hands also. The people must
Apay all,cost of conviction, and vet Mr.
Wight says he gets about 3 ner cont
to start life anew. Looks to mo lilo
putting premium on crime. Prior
TO this law, IS convicts were the most
we mad at any time. Since the law
was. enacted we have had nearly 70 at
one time. The records do not bear
out your statement that we are get.
ting more per capita by eliminating
the disabled, etc. The fact is. we are
getting less, as shown by the lessee's
contract. We ought to have more
since the prices of naval stores has
scared skyward. You know you helm
ed to give the lessee manipulators
cinch on the whole business.
You were quite energetic at ITALIA.
hassee by stopping up spigot hole
by knocking out few clerks on one
hand and boring bung hole on the
other with your convict law.
Why will you misquote me by say
ing that I said thus and so about the
census in Mr.. Crosby's and my dis
trict?
Mr. Light, you had better stay by
the truth. You had better be more
careful in your figures. You do not
prove anything by your conglomera-
ton.
Now, Mr.. Light, when we advised
you that by consulting our records in
the clerks office you could see the ex-
act condition of the finances; and up
on going there the clerk offered to
show you, you refused to see them;
said you would not understand them.
Now, if you were honest in this, how
would you have understood them had
we advertised them, as you requested?
Their condition would have been the
same in the advertisement as in the
records.
Mr.. Light, the fact is you want to
be carping, you want to be butting in,
you want to be dabbling, you want to
be playing to the galleries, you want
to agitate the sentiment and passions
of the people, and for no other pur-
pose than that of egotism-trying to
get in the limelight.
Now, sir, had you gone about learn
ing. the financial standing of our coun-
ty in the proper way. and with the
right motive-as all good citizens
should do-with the view of helping
to solve the problems before us for
the betterment of all the people, then
/ would have gladly given you all the
information necessary to that end;
but you have gone into the newspaper
with, as / believe, the most impure
and sinister motives, accusing the
county commissioners of dishonesty,
of trying to hide or cover up our ac-
lions from the people and threatening
to force us to comply with your de-
signing request, for no other purpose
than that of stirring up strife, excit-
ing the passions of the people, and
hoping to gain a little notoriety.
Mr.. Light says in one breath that
the county is $4,000 in. debt, and in
the next that the county is $4,000 in
debt If he has given the people any
thing reliable by this sort of figuring.
I must confess l can't see the point.
If Mr.. Light wanted to be of service
to the people, and advise them OF what
the county commissioners are doing,
why did he not get from the official
records for a given period of time the
revenues collected from all sources,
the disbursements for all purposes for
the same period of time, and make his
calculations on Improvements and
profits derived from said monies? Had
YOU done this, hardly think you
would be censuring us in the way you
are.
Now. Mr.. Light, if you wish to con-
tinue looking for a rat in the meal
barrel, just go ahead; | shall pay no
further attention you until you claim
that you've found him, and then III
mt the finishing trimmings on you.
Then the people shall know all the
he ATsly nave