The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-04-05
MISLEADING
THE PEOPLE


THE PEOPLE
The Everglades work is probably the
most misunderstood and least appreci-
ated enterprise of any considerable mag.
nitude ever undertaken. The ignorance
displayed by public men in discussing
the work is regretable thing in con-
nection with it. Governor Broward had
TO fight the anti-drainage sentiment I'M
til his plan proved its worth, and now
all, or nearly all who opposed the work
in his day have become drainage advo-
Gates. But still the friends of the work
have error TO combat. twill not down;
il keeps coming up in the newspapers,
the magazines and the public uttcrances
of Florida's own sons who should know
better.
In his speech at the Orpheum the
other night Col. Cromwell Gibbons,
candidate for Governor, displayed a
most lamentable ignorance of the whole
scheme. 1t was either this, or he tried
wilfully TO deceive the people.
Col. Gibbons is a good, whole, Souled
fellow, and it is hard for US to believe
that he would attempt 10 deceive. We
prefer to think that he just doesn't
know what he is talking about.
He discussed the land project in some
detail. He said that he wasn't opposed
TO the drainage project, but he tried to
show that the State was not bound 10
any sort of system in carrying out the
project He cited a clause from the
contract which the trustees of the Inter
nal Improvement Fund entered into
with r. J. Bodies, the said clause stipu-
lating only that certain amount OF
money was to be used in the attempt TO
drain the lands. Here Col Gibbons
stopped. He didn't go any further. He
didn't explain anything. He said that
this was the contract which the State
had with "theSe land companies"
In view of the fact that the people, as
a rule, know next TO nothing about the
matters concerning the States affairs
which most concern them, il was very
unfair of Col. Cromwell Gibbons to cite
this paragraph from the Bolles' contract
and say that this was the contract that
the State had with these land compa
MES"
If Col Gibbons had been informed he
would have known that the contract
with Bodies had TO be made in such un
certain language in view Of the fact thai
the State was operating its own dredges
at that time and the project was to de
gree in a very incomplete condition
Governor Broward was going out o
office and he was making provision in :
general way for the continuation of the
work without binding his successor tc
any strictly specified system.
AT that time the system Of canals
which is now being eXcavated had no
been mapped out, and it was subSequen
TO that contract that system of canals
was adopted and contract let for The
construction of 1855 miles OF main canals
So far as we are informed the State ha
not contracted with these land Compa
MES" This contract referred TO by Col
Gibbons was a contract with r. J
Bolles, the first purchaser Of Everglade
lands, whose money afforded the mean
10 continue the work which had BEEF
begun in small way by Governo
Broward. 1t is we'll known to those in
formed that the funds were depleted a
the time of the BolleS sale, and it is ais
well known that provision had to b
made in the contract for the preServa
lion of the Is per cent. of the tota
amount accruing TO the school fund, ur
der the law, from all sales of Everglade
land. To make the statement and leav
the impression that this contract is tn
only contract under which the State
operating which looks to the drainag
OF the Everglades is very unfair, and W
are surprised that the pleasant Col. Gil
bons should have dealt in ii.