The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-05-16
LETTER FROM
TALLAHASSEE.


of all questions which come before
the House. The reverse is nearly
true. We have vtoed together on
almost every question, the exceptions
being one constitutional amendment
and the Florahome Drainage matter.
No one con regret more than my
self the difference which has arisen
over this latter question between Sem
ator John P Wall and myself.
| came to Tallahassee prepared to
assist in so amending the present
F'lorahome Drainage Law as to re-
lieve from the burden of special tax
alton some six or seven of the old
residents of the present district who
feel that they are unjustly taxed.
At meeting held in Florahome last
winter at which these men made their
protest, | so informed them. | also
informed them that l would oppose
any attempt to repeal the law and
kill the whole drainage proposition.
| was not consulted by Senator
Wall concerning the subject after
reaching Tallahassee. But the very
first day of the session on which bills
were presented, Senator Wall intro
duced in the Senate the Bill No. g.,
entitled an act to repeal the Flora
nome drainage law. Mr.. Wall did not
notify me of his purpose to do this
and neither did he ask me to appear
before the Senate committee to which
the bill was referred. AS it was a
purely local matter, and to which no
opposition was offered, the bill
passed the Senate and in time came
TO the House. Before the committee
on Canals and Drainage of the House,
to which it was referred, the bill was
given a hearing on Thursday, May
list; Senator Wall and Mr.. Middleton
were both present at this hearing
In fact l took particular pains to in
vite Senator Wall personally. Al
this meeting of the committee the
subject was thoroughly threshed out,
Senator Wall and Mr.. Middleton both
arguing for the repeal of the law
while | defended it. The committee
meeting lasted nearly two hours and
the committee made as careful in
quiry into the matter as was possible.
rhe committee sustained my side Of
the case unanimously and reported the
Wall bill UNFAV0RABLY. AS We
were leaving the committee room !
stepped up to Senator Wall and was
on the point of shaking hands anG
saying something of soothing ma
, ture, when he said: "No sir, l will
not shake hands with you, and /
never will shake hands with you
again." Mr.. Middleton, who does not
appear to be greatly concerned in the
matter considering the fight one
between Senator Wall and myself,
and who took the Wall side as a mat
ter of expediency) took his defeat
like a gentleman, and since the meet
ing, as before, we have worked in
I thorough harmony. In fact l think
| am safe in saying that there is nc
county represented on the floor of the
House by two representatives that
have voted more in harmony than
Mr.. Middleton and myself.
After Senator Wallis defeat before
the House committee, it is a fact that
ne made the statement to several
members of the House that by de-
feating this bill | was robbing GER
tain people of their homes and that
the law was the most unjust of any
thing on the statute books. He did
not say anything about the injus-
ice which its repeal would bring
about. Learning of his statements,
arose in my place in the House
Saturday morning and asked that the
Wall Bill be placed on the calendar;
that while the committee was unan-
imous in reporting it unfavorably, !
preferred since learning of these
statements, that the whole House
should Judge of the bill on it's merits.
The bill is on the Calendar and when
it comes before the House | shall
| discuss it.
The committee meeting at which
this bill was turned down was not
marked or marred by any heat or dis
play of personal feeling. On the
contrary, as became the occasion, tn
q talks of Mr.. Middleton and Senator
, Wall were dignifed and courteous. !
think they would both be willing to
give out the same statement concern
ing my talk and conduct. 1t was
only after the meeting and his defeat
that the Senator displayed any-of
: mis- real character.
Several days after the meeting of
the House committee and after its
nal, through the intervention of Mr..
f. J. Fearnside who urged the i'm
portance of our getting together,
approached Senator Wall and asked
MIN if he didn't think we could get
together and agree on a new drain
age boundary which would let out
the men who felt themselves unjustly
taxed. | told him if he would meet
me and discuss the matter | thought
we could agree on bill that we could
both urge. Senator Wall said "ali
right. | will meet you here at 2:15
this afternoon and we will get at it"
| came to the meeting place at 2
o'clock, fifteen minutes before the
time set by Senator Wall, and waited
until o'clock and the Senator did
not show up. He has never said any
thing to me since about his failure
to keep his engagement. Neither
has he said anything about a new bill.
| am told however that he has intro
duced a bill to take all the uplands
out of the district. This is only an
other way of killing the bill, and one
that | cannot approve.
If Senator Wall will present a bill
creating new boundary for the Flor
ahome Drainage district-one that
will take out of the district the six
or seven gentlemen who have the feel
ing that they are unjustly taxed
will help him make it a law.
have told him this and this has been
my position from the first. But when
he attempts to kill the entire drain