The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1915-02-04

]
ing Of the commentator Of all citi.
81 zcus, including the Enterprise.
Wherein has the Enterprise been
prompted IN its wall; What principle
or principles have persuaded this self
Ic>tccmed eNpostulator Of volunteered
philanthropy to come Ia the rescue aud
thus bearing the culors of loyalty and
confessed reward; why the cowurdicc
that discluims the brief held by the
page: Who has arcu,tcd this reptile.
and made It fretful at its own despair.
Ia, caused It to shed its venom at
random-to poison the minds Of the
innocent and unsuspectins. thereby ar.
fecting the greatest foe to honesty and
fair play?
The Enterprise admits that the pub.
lie records may be commented upon and
even criticised Ccommendable. consid
ering the sourcel, but II insists that
the News articles were unfair aud un.
just, although the Enterprise fails to
| point out the reasons for its claim.
! Why doesn't the Enterprise give more
| space to an explanation Of this i'm
/ portant question affecting the interest
/ Of the public, and occupy less space
/ In making the claim that IL does rot
/ hold brief for the old Board Of Com
misSioucr~ Let the Enterprise conhne
| it, lahurS In this form Of undertaking.
and then. If there should prove 10 be
merit il might assume an air Of self.
respect regardless Of the cmauating
sCur>e.
Where argument fails. criticism Is
regarded a~ further weapon Of either
ntfense or defense, and IN this the
Enterprise has savored Of its one alter
natiyc-has rested its case upon that
much abused and frequently plagarizcd
rule of laying an the blame on the leg.
islaturc. II it had reasoned more il
would have said less. aud conversely.
II IL had pOudercd less, it would Likely
have been more laxative. The facr 4
the matte ris, the Enterprise Just want
ed tn further advise science Of its art
/ In pruning trees, and there being no
| limb at hand, it proceeded to guaw on
the commonly accepted goat.
We leave II 10 the reason Of any
one Of wisdom Cincluding the Enter.
priSei IL the law limiting expenditures
to the amount NJ the funds levied is
bad law-Certainly some Safeguard
Is necessary for the protection Of pub
lie interests, where, like in the case
at issue. the board expended $lGOOp.CD
more than the tax levy for that year.
We do not know the public view Il
such matters In Oklahoma and Nilsson.
ri, the former homes Of the Inter
priSe's brayng machine. but we do
know that the citizenship ot Florida.
and particularly DeSorO county. does
not approve Of living beyond the in.
come, either in private or public life.
ana certainly the issuance Of bogus
warrants is strongly condemned.
The necessity for the law Of which
the Enterprise makes such serious com.
plant j. shown In the lew " only
Il portion Of the business transacted 10y
the old Board of Commissioners. The
law In question does not require the
employment Of county engineer. does
not state any particular salary for the
employment Of Il county auditor, iaui-
tor. etc. does not provide for the pay
mcnt for stationery for the various
county officials, does not require the
purchase Of the buchanan tax checking
system. ana probably, yea most likely.
there are many other things INDUCED
in the way Of expenditure 10y the old
Board of County Commissioners which
the law In question does not require.
but the law does most cmphatically re-.
quire that the expenditures be no great.
er than the levy Of take, made for
the general revenue fund during each
year.
hut the Enterprise challenges us To
point out the remedy for the evil de.
pict"d, or otherwise We stand branded
a. u kuuckcr. How sad. Certainly no
one would believe this. since il was
L a.. IL.
then plagariZed 10y the official organ of
DoSuto. However. we call the hand of
our contemporary, adding at the same
time that all other readers except the
Enterprise have been advised I'm the
premises, and have long since dcduccd
/ the proper conclusions. No sir; We shall
not have Ia gnaw more ON the limb
in order To learn the art Of pruning
this one tree. Here is the remedy. Civ
Ell unhcsitatlngly;
Issue no more warrants on the va
rious funds than the annual lcvcy for
( those funds. Make all disbursements
/ out Of the proper funds. This IS all
| that we advised in the beginning and
I all that we advise now. aud all that
/ the law requires Everybody else. save
the Enterprise, have long since ab-
/ sorhed the correct idea.
Does 1t seek more light and Is that
| light on the general revenue fund from
which it aS the official organ" receives
its quote from the public crib? And. II
50, let 1t, in its official capacity. go To
Its archives, dig up It's old accounts
against the county which have been
/ paid outSof the general revenue fund.
and there find portion Of the over.
/ draft OF the old Board of Commission
ers. This may explain why the Official
organ" title IS regarded as much