The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-11-22
MR.. CURRY DEFlES
THE ALLEGATIONS
And in Plea for Fairness HurIs
Defiance at the A!Ieqator.

| When man, community, a state
or a nation departs from a reasonable
rule OF fairness and justice as be-
tween themselves, in thought, word
or deed, by just so much do they lose
their self respect, which should be
invaluable to every man, and the re-
spect of their fellowman, which, in
all ages and civilizations has been es-
teemed as the greatest earthly pos
session man could have. No money
consideration or political aspiration
should be considered as compensation
for the loss of mans good name"
In all ages men have differed on bat
tiefield and forum, and have fought
their different abilities, but the man
VINO has been unfair, to accomplish
his purposes, has always been con-
demned at the bar of public opinion.
l have differed with L. l.. Moody on
public questions affecting the inter
ests OF every tax payer in Putnam
county, and at the bar or public opin-
ION, and In the court of last appeal
The People" | have been sustained
while he has been condemned; and
now he comes out as publicly as pos. !
sible and accuses me of hoodwinking
the people, of making many mistate- |
ments, and "only regrets that he can
not turn the office over to a man with |
clean hands,"
AS to his charge of hoodwinking. it
is an insult to the intelligence of the
people OF Putnam county; as to the
charge OF mistatemc nts, there is not
one line of anything that | have pub
lished that will bear the construction
ne has chosen to give. | never said
he was running ION four different
tickets" but | did say that he had the
right to solicit votes on the national
republican, socialist and independent
platforms, because such was my in
formation. | never said the "shel
mound deal had been made" but that
"it seemed to have been nlade,' and
the records will fully endorse such
statement.
never said that he could or woulo
bring back whiskey into Putnam
county, but that information had come
to me that he was soliciting votes on
the representation that he would do
so. If the published records do not
show that Mr.. Moody has been un-
far, then will make public acknowl-
edgement that | do not understand
my mother tongue, and do not know
how to express myself in simple, plain
English.
1t matters so little to the people Of
Putnam county and the state what
Moody thinks of me, but it does mat
Ter when our newspapers will open
,helr columns, either gratuitously or
from mercenary motives, for an at
Jack so personal, bitter and unwar-
ranted, by fact or circumstances, up-
On any free citizen. They are sup
posed to be, by every rule of decent
journalism, the representatives of the
intelligence of our people, and the de-
tenders of what is clean and pure in
politics. Is it fair to their subscrib-
ers, who by their ballots had express
I'd themselves almost unanimously, to
publish an attack so utterly untrue
n every particular as the article :
lgainSt me last Friday? Personally {
do no care, but | do not believe my
rlends should be insulted by being '
old that they voted for a man who
vas altogether unworthy, and by a
nan whom over 700 of his fellow cit
zens, by>their ballots rejected as un-
worthy of their vote and confidence. u
am willing to leave it to the newspa-
'er fraternity of the state, if the dem
cratic newspapers of Palatka have =
,een fair to their readers in pub "
ishing not only the disappointed wall y
ngs of an Independent socialist, but "
eiled accusations which the people q
" their ballots neither sustained nor .
ndorsed. In my humble judgment, -
Gentlemen of the Palatka press, you a
we your democratic and republican
eaders an apology, for you have with =
IL the prestage you command, and
o the extent of your circulation, al {
owed whoever may read your pa
ers to believe that the County Com. T
missioner from the second district of T.,
'utnam county is sadly in need Of in i
in the ninth commandment, /,
nd is man who has fouled his hands 6
y taking what he has not honestly ~
armed. You don't believe it your a.
elves-then fairness to yourselves, TO i
our readers, and to the general pub
C demands that you repudiate the d
landerous tone of the article. Had a
he article any reference whatever to n
he public good, there would have !.
cen some reason for it's publication
low, to Mr.. Moody. l would say he n
nows exactly where l live, and ] will o
leet any appointment he chooses to S
lake, and if l cannot satisfy him that I
e is mistaken, that l have done him e
nd the people no wrong, will take S
he consequences without hesitation.
| will BEGIN my term of service with