The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-11-05
The Tampa Tines and the Governor.

Inc tampa lines anu INC
We are quite unable to understand
tire ii.placc5le Hostility OF the tampa
Times to Governor Trammell on any
ground of legitimate newspaper CD
lection to his public service or prl-
vate character. The governor Deihs
human is not infallible and, as Is
the case with all public men, at some
time or other he says or does some
thing open to criticism from some
ones point of view, and the neWspa-
per not friendly to the particular poii
cy in question, is promptly hearo
from voicing its objection.
This is going on not only here, nut
in all the States, and is Just as II
should be. for it means the full, 1ree
and open criticism OF public men apo
public questions and is the speclal anu
priceless prerogative of the press uh
der our system of self-goyernmeht.
Without it ours would not be free
country in which the people rule
But when the criticism is fair and le-
climate, the language employed 70
express it is temperate and the hoUe
of personal pique and malice is con-
spicuously absent. i;
It is not thus absent from the edl-
torial expressions ,of the tampa
Times concerning Governor iranllheii
and his conduct of the office ne nolos'
and because it is not, the conclusion
is irresistible that behind the long
and labored and frequent screeds OF
the Times attacking the governor
there is some personal reason neIu
hack from the reader that is purely
vindictiyeness. and which, if revealed
would rob the attacks OF all force III
the minds of impartial, fair-mlndeu
PEOPLE. We don't know that TINS Is
actually true in the case OF the lines
but we do know that such an lnier-
ence can be fairly drawn ana tnaI
the vicious and constant denuhclalioi.
Of Governor Trammell by that paper
can hardly be explained on any othef
ground. H., aAo,,d On
simple and inoffensive an act by the
governor as issuing a proclamation
designating a certain day as Farm"
ers Dav" or "Sunday-school Rally
IDav"-hardly more than part OF the
routine work of his office-arouse the
wrath of the Times and provoke us
acrid criticism and contemptuouS
gneers as though he had done some
thing fagrantly wrong and was ~
lon~er worthy of the confidence ana
resnect of his fellow citizens? we
submit to the unprejudiced reader that
10 ;nference of personal dislike for
some reason not disclosed is lrreslstl-
Ible: and this being true the attacks
of the Times fall short, for the people
are not interested in a personal dliier'
ence between an editor and a COVER.
nor which the former declines tc
frankly state, and they will not ans
credit the governor nor think the less
of him because of attacks ANIMATED
NV motives which dc not touch M
character as "a faithful and capable
public servant.
The Times objects to so much laN
orable publicity for the governor com
! ing out of Tallahassee and intimate
; that it is manufactured to order
= but we want to say right mere INA
: after many years of observation 0
many governors we have never know,
! one who was less in the glare of sell
sought publicity than Park TrammH'
and who devotes himself to the uu
o ties of his office with less ostentatioI
q From the very nature OF his posi-
-, ton he is almost constantly IN N
y limelight, and newspaper correspond
; ents, always alert for anything ina ina
- would interest their readers from tn
!, Governor of the State, hunt hlm u
/, without solicitation on his part an
j cuiz him for news or for some Sor
# of story that would make good copy
r They do this with every governor Q
q every State in the Union. 1t is par
O of their profession. and they wouidh
v he good newspaper men unless the
v did. 10,
!, We read the State papers closer
n and we have seen in none OF thel
9 any stream of adulation coming trol
II the capital concerning GoVernc
~ Trammen, nor have we discovere
:" any evidence of undue itch on his pa
il to "work" the press for taVorao
n publicity. He would be might
y poor governor and a mighty poo
- man if he didn't want the good .opil
al ion of the people who elected him