The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-03-15
WHAT is DONE
CAN'T BE UNDONE..

Representative Frank Clark his due al
all times, and we do not think we over
state ii when we say that he has received
a square deal from this paper. In &C.
cordance with this policy, let us grant
that Representative C!ark's purpose in
stirring up this Everglades investigation
was good. Give him all the credit he
would claim for going after the land
sharks. If there are land sharks, they
should be gone after; but there is, un-
fortunately, another side 10 the picture.
The investigation was set afoot for the
oStenSible purpose OF finding out why a
certain document was suppressed and
what influences were brought TO bear in
its suppression. Instead of limiting the
investigation to this very simple queS-
ton the partisan spirit has cropped out
so strongly that no person who has read
the testimony can doubt that politics is
at the bottom of the whole thing, and
that the mere suppression of the circular
was merely lever which has been
used TO prize open other things which
have no direct bearing on the subject.
1t has given departmental employees an
opportunity TO air their grievances against
their fellow employees, and there is such
ill-concealed venom in the testimony OF
some Of the witnesses that it should be
sufficient to attack the validity of their
statements.
Now, since all this has happened the
original purpose of the investigation has
been well nigh obScured. The facts
concerning the suppression of the cir
cular have been brought out and ii
should not be hard for the committee 10
reach conclusion.
The circular was issued by subordi-
nate of the Department of Agriculture
without the consent or direction of the
Secretary. The Secretary'S attention
was called 10 the circular. He was
asked if he had authorized ii. No, he
had not; he didn't know anything about
it; never saw copy of it until some
outsider brought one 10 his office The
Secretary grew angry at this usurpation
of authority, particularly when it was
shown him that the statements in the
circular were misleading. He at once
ordered the issue of the circular TO be
cfnnnad ThotSe Ill L. -
about.
1t seems to US that Secretary Wilson
did only that which any other man in a
responsible official position would do.
But that has little TO do with the case as
it now presents itself. Newspaper re-
porterS entirely unfamiliar with the Ev-
erglades, and the various allied questions
of more or less intricate nature, have
given out garbled reports OF the com.
mittee sessions, and upon these reports
editorial comments and cartoons have
been cast.
The most cutting of any are the car
toon and the editorial appearing in the
last issue of Golfers Weekly. There |
can be no doubt that Secretary Wilson
has been attacked without warrant in
this case; he has been done a great in
justice, and Representative Clark is di- |
rectly responsible for this. tits grave
thing 10 do fellow man and a high |
government official an injustice The |
degree OF the hurt is measured by the |
range Of the reputation and the extent
of the usefulness of the man. Secretary
Wilson has been good man in his day,
but he is getting too old for his present
position. We are much more inclined
to think that if there is any seeming dis.
honesty in his department that it is due
much more 10 the laxness of age than
TO any turpitude on his part.
Another injury that Representative
Clark has done, and one that he cannot
repair, is the injury TO his own State,
the State for which he processes such a
profound affection.
1t is not many years since people Iiv.
ing in the North and West had the idea
that Florida was suited as an abiding
place only 10 web-footed creatures and
reptiles Much has been done in recent
years 10 correct that impression. But
along comes the Everglades scandal and
with it the statement of Representative
Clark that thousands OF people have
been Swindled of millions of dollars:
that lands have been sold that lie ten
and twelve feet under water. This state.
ment goes into the Congressional Rec
ord, and is used to purpose by Western
papers. The supervising drainage engi-
neer for the State gives in his sworn tes-
imony before the committee that the
lverage depth OF water on the undrain-
I'd portion OF the 'gladeS was not more
han three inches. In spite of his pro-
eStalionS OF good faith Mr.. Clark has
been responsible for again getting the
impression fixed in The Northern and
Western mind that Florida is a morass
md that holdings here are risky. One
Who is informed states that land sales in
he State-that is, all over the State
AVE fallen off fifty per cent. since this
citation started.
So, Mr.. Clark has over-reached him
elf in spite of himself He has gone {
90 far. Granted that he acted in good
aith, he has set moving an avalanche of
vii TO the State, which he is himself
ute unable 10 sion And thnrn lie M :