The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-11-24
GROWERS GAG
CONVENTION
Orange County Citizen Reports
Recent Meeting at Orlando
CARPET BAG METHODS
Growers Who We're Not against the fx-
change" Excluded, While Buyers,
and Commission Men Voted

ut has been the editors misfor-
tune, D." says the Orange County Citizen,
ito attend many political convention
in years past, where stated measures
We're railroaded through in violence to
rules, but for pure. downright, bare
faced, unmitigated convention stuffing,
the so-called Citrus Growers Conven-
ton, held in Orlando, November 4th,
beat anything on record.
list. The convention was called for
citrus growers, without distinction.
There were $50 persons in the hall in
the morning session, largely local peo-
pie, among them the carpet .baggers
who brought with them the dope in
hand satchel, good representation of
commission men, orange brokers and
buyers. railroad men, and a fair repre-
sentatlOn of actual growers, Exchange
men and Independents.
''2nd. Qualification for membership
and the privilege of voting was confined
to those who agreed to vote against
the Citrus Exchange, the question be-
ing asked each person in the hall and
their names written on an unheaded
paper. Thus, the action of the meet
ing was determined at the outset and
each qualified voter was bound to vote
for the object of the meeting. namely:
Against the Exchange Are you in
sympathy with this, asked the COM
mitteeman of the editor. No., said
the editor. The teller then passed on.
''3rd. The hall was stuffed with or
ange brokers, buyers, and their SYM
pathizers; the afternoon session, when
the BUSINESS was finally transacted,
having only about ninety present, many
of the morning attendants became dis
gusted.
"4th The buss and chief manipula-
tor was the attorney for the East Coast
Railway, with which the Citrus Ex-
change is at suit in law for the recOv-
cry of thousands of dollars loss to or
ange growers, good reason enough
why he should destroy the prosecutor,
and a relative of the man now under
indictment for violation of the Green
Fruit Law. Blood will tell, even in
green blood orange.
18th. A chairman was selected who
though he may have intended right, did
not understand parliamentary law and
easily fell into the willy clutches Of the
chief manipulation.
18th. The committees were pre-ar-
ranged and the BOSNIAN was careful to
be on the most important, i. e., the con-.
demnation proceedings, and the resou-
tions show his fine handiwork, even to
the commentator of the buyers and
shippers of his choice.
9th. The whole convention was
carried on by Boss st. Clair Abrams,
who spent an hour and twenty minutes
in TRADE against the Exchange, damn
ing it in the choicest Of explosives,
charging undreamed of vilaines to the
officers and declaring it to he the agent
of the California Exchange to democrat
ize and destroy the orange industry OF
Florida. Tn. balance of his frenzed
spellbinding was devoted to the denun-
citation Of the Florida Legislature; and
the quality OF the man and his trust
worthiness as a leader may be easily
gagged from the fact that he said he
never committed perjury bat he
might be willing 10 do so to avoid hay
ing it known that he one time served in
the State Senate He yiitied the law,
the legislature and the lawmakers as
tools in the hands of the Citrus Ex-
change, egged on by the Cali lonla FIX
change. OF course this is mighty good
reading for the members OF the iegisa-
ture. for Senator l.. {. Mas scy, who
drew The law and the many honorable
men VINO supported it.
"Sth. At the very time the prepared
resolutions were under discussion the
chairman, under the pressure of the
Boss, totally ignored an amendment
moved by Mr.. Hawthorne, "a qualified
voter to change the wording of the
first section (which was the pith of the
whole fght) and after plainly stating
the amendment. violated the ordinary
parliamentary rules by putting the qurs-
ton the main resolution, instead OF the
The chair also ignored
motion of Mr.. Walter Drennen, which
was seconded by another qualified vot-
err. prohibiting the commission men,
buyers and railroad men from voting,
Mr.. Drennen accepting an amendment
Citrus Exchange men voting
also. and combining the vote to indie
pendent orange growers, The failure
to recognize this motion proved the
whole fermentation Of the sour mash
inevitably placed upon record the dis.
honest procedure. Despite all this and
the earnest and manly protests OF
Messrs. BraxtOn Beacham, James l.,
Giles and Mr.. Hawthorne, independent
growers. that words less drastic should
be employed in the resolution, the
chairman was not permitted to recog-
nize them, proving that the meeting
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