The Washington herald., 1912-02-09

operating in the State Of Florida to the
detriment Of the State and OF the robbery
Of thousands OF people all over this
country, felt that my duty as a Repre-
sentative demanded that / speak. and
! that ask a committee OF this House to
investigate those operations.
II have no interest in any land COM
pany in the State of Florida or any
where else. I have not foot OF Florida
land for sale in any part Of the State.
The only interest that I have Is in pro-
tecting the people Of this country from
being ensnared by the lurid. truthIess.
false statements of these land sharks
who would rob the poor all over this
land and bring discredit upon the fair
name of my State. / did so before a
committee, and I am prepared TO prove.
not only by my own statement. but by
the sworn testimony Of as good men as
live within this republic that the Secre-
tary Of Agriculture told me that he sup
pressed the circular referred to at the
Instance Of persons engaged in selling
Everglades lands In Florida. I want to
know, and the country ought 10 know.
who those persons were who could exer-
else this great influence over a great
department OF this government.
PItied "VenerabIe Secretary,
II hesitated, because looked upon the
veperable Secretary more in q sense OF
pity than I did of blame. The Depart
ment OF Agriculture sent certain engf-
neers down to investigate these lands.
Those engineers male n report. The de-
partment was being flooded with Inquiries
from all over this country relative to
that project. They could not answer
them singly, so it was thought necessary
to get out a circular. giving the neces-
sary information. That circular letter
was prepared, and when a few Of them
came into circulation the agents OF these
land sharks Immediately appeared at the
department
'They threatened the chief drainage
engineer OF that department IL he did not
recall that circular letter. He stood pat
He declined to do It. They then told him
that they would go higher, and they
would have him do it. In a few days
the chief engineer received a letter from
the Secretary, telling him that he must
circulate no more Of these letters, and he
must not answer any question relative
to the Everglades Of Florida.
p. Il simply went before that committee
to know whence comes this great power
that can accomplish things like this.
did not intend. Mr.. Speaker. to be put in
the attitude Of opposing this great work
of internal Improvement. / do not know
am willing for 1t to be done. and am
not opposing any enterprise in my State
or any honest. legitimate industry. but
I will oppose thievery and robbery and
fraud whether II is committed in Florida
or in any other State OF this Union.
Quotes p. T. Barnum.
These men have brought discredit upon
our State. Millions Of dollars have gone
into their Golfers for land eight. ten and
twelve feet under water, the land that
ought to have been sold by the quart in
stead of by the acre. and I wanted to
know what connection the Department OF
Agriculture of this great government has
with these land boomers and land sharks.
Il am perfectly willing. IL the people
are like Barnum said they were, that
they love to be humbugged, ! am perfect
ly willing to allow them TO be humbugged.
but not by a copartnership between a
great department OF this government and
the spectators and pirates who are seek
ing to humbug them. The statement
made before that committee Is true. Let
the department come there, and under
bath, submit their defense. ! am prepared
10 prove 1t beyond not probability, but
beyond every shadow, Of reasonable
doubt