The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-04-05
the CASE
AGAINST CLARK.
H. G. RaIston in Miami Herald.

In the issue OF your paper, under the
date of March IS, 1912, you intimate edi.
torially that Congressman Frank Clark
is being falsely accused of misrepresent-
ing his district, and you pointedly ask
for specifications of his alleged misrep-
reservations. 1t is with real pleasure
that comply with your request. The
subject of Mr.. Clark's Misrepresentation
is large one, however, and shall con-
fine myself to that phase of this question
which naturally interests the people OF
Dade county most, namely, MIR. Clark's
Misrepresentation in regard to the
drainage and development of the Ever
glades.
AT the outset, feel sure that you agree
to the truth of the following assertions
First, the Everglades, once drained and
settled, will be huge asset to the entire
state of Florida, and particularly to Dade
and Palm Beach counties. Secondly,
that the drainage of the Everglades,
which is the largest reclamation project
of the world, has in the last few years
attracted the favorable attention of the
entire country to south Florida. Third
ly, that the drainage enterprise has al
ready been directly responsible for a
very large influx of desirable settlers in
to South Florida, and for corresponding
rise in property valuus, and for great
development in all lines of business and
commerce. These statements need no
proof.
Congressman Clark represents the
majority of the Everglade district in
Congress. He recently prevailed upon
the Committee on Expenditures of the
Agricultural Department TO investigate
the suppression by the Department of
the Wright report on the drainage of
the Everglades, and the suppression of a
circular letter the Elliott circulaD con-
tanning garbled extracts from the
Wright report. Mr.. Clark charged that
the Agricultural Department had sup
pressed this report and letter at the in
stance of Everglade land promoters,
who had incidentally swindled thous-
ands of innocents the country over.
Space will not permit an analysis of the
many interesting facts brought out by
this investigation. And so | pass over
the fact that Mr.. Clark has shifted
ground as to which report he believes
should have been published; that evi.
dence has been introduced which tends
to prove the above charges regarding
the suppression entirely false, etc. II
may be noted, however, that the Ever
glades Land Companies had been sell
ing Everglade land for three years pre-
vious; though thousands of people from
all over the United States had investi
gated the various Everglade propositions
though the United States Postal authori
ties were supposedly watching this mat
Ter closely; though there have beer
several thousand inhabitants of south
Florida on the ground during these
Everglade sales; though federal ant
state grand iuries were meeting regular
: ly; YET, in spite of all this, ii remained
for Frank Clark, of Gainesville, aftel
, three long years, to open the eyes OF hi
constituents on the ground and OF thu
world at large, to the gigantic swindl'
perpetrated by the sellers of Everglad'
land.
All this may seem more or less beside
the point, but it really leads up to thu
information which you desire. MIR
} Clark admittedly knows nothing abou
: the Everglades, whose development
means so much to Florida. He ha
never visited the Everglades. He ha
theoretically assumed the attitude Of de
l string to know the truth about thu
: drainage of the Everglades, and of pro
2 tecting his beloved state from ravageS o
t robbers and thieves. This is most com
, mendable, of course. And if he hat
only stopped here, if he had poste'
himself first hand on the Everglades be
fore going any farther, this letter woul'
i never have been written.
: Unfortunately, however, Mr.. Clarl
t has gone farther, very much farther
. Taking advantage OF the avenues of pub
, licity which his Everglade investigation
opened up TO him, in the newspapers Il
> states which were jealous of Florida
great development, Mr.. Clark began II
e talk for publication. Unfortunately
e again, he selected as his theme tn
e Everglades of Florida. And unfortu
!. nately, once more, Mr.. Clark appearin
. to the country at large as the Everglade
district representative in congress, wa
naturally supposed to know what h
e was talking about. The country at larg
v could not know that Mr.. Clark wa
n denseIy ignorant of and prejudice
@ against his chosen subject, and tn
" newspapers did not care.
am going to quote you few sample
= of Mr.. Clark's newspaper conversatio
Il about the Everglades, that you may Sc
specifically and clearly just how Mi
g Clark has been disappearing his di'
" trict Ifit should be objected that new
- paper quotations are unreliable, then
q may state that Mr. Clark has been COZ
versing fluently about the Everglade
for over three months, and has neve
e denied the authenticity of his quote
r statements about the Everglades. II
has had ample chance to do so, eithe
in the papers of Florida, or during h
two recent speeches about the Eve
N glades on the floor of the House {
Representatives. On the contrary, i
the last of these speeches, March 5, 191!
(which you published in full recent!
he said "My experience with newSp;
r pers reporters in Washington is that the
e generally get fellow pretty straight
5, This would seem to indicate at least
il general approval of his interviews pull
Is Iished broadcast for weeks past.
:, On February Sth, Mr.. Clnrk, in Speal
l. ing of Everglade Land Companies, etc
lie made the following statement on tn
- floor of the house of representative
S, "Million of dollars have gone into the
,e Golfers for land s, 10 and IL feet undo
ii water, land that ought TO have been sol
* by the quart, instead of by the acre.
lie This statement, made officially by th
lie impartial representative of the Ever
is glades district, who knew nothin
~ about the Everglades, and who W:
st seeking only the truth, this indeed COZ
ID veys TO the general public fair and d.
H. lightful impression of the physical COZ