The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-06-16
A MIGHTY SLACK BUNCH

The Star doesn't think our state
government officials are anything but
honest, but they are entirely too much
given to allowing people who are dis
honest to have their own way. Even if
they know public affairs are being
badly conducted, they rarely do any
thing to correct the wrong, and never
do anything to punish the wrong
doors.
The state reform school was the
rankest instance of this. 1t was well
known that the institution was rot
ten, but nothing was done until the |
tragedy that disgraced the state oc-
Cured. Not anything like what the
situation demands has been done since.
Nobody has been punished for the
wholesale murder of the poor boys the
state was supposed to protect and re-
form, and its dollars to doughnuts
that before long the institution will
be in rank condition again.
The report of the legislative com
mittee shows that the convict farm at
Raiford is a burden on the state,
proving that Florida believes that the
only way to treat the criminal with
humanity is to punish the honest citi-
zen who must be taxed for his help.
If there is one place more than an
other that should be properly conduct
ed, it is the state insane asylum, but
the Star has reliable information that
this place is not only not what it
should be, but not what it could be.
In other ways our state officials
show their slackness. In fact, in very
| few ways they show vigilance. Any
man or combination of men who
wants to plumber the people of Flor
ida can almost always do so and get
away with it.
The Tampa Times makes some per-
tinent remarks in the following:
"Our position with reference to the
internal improvement trustees and
other state officials may best be stated
as follows:
eve demand a fair deal for the
people from the men who are repeat
eddy elected to office by the people. If
they refuse to do their duty from
lack of courage or other reasons, the
people should be made aware of the
fact and allowed to GUST them. Re
CARELESS of whether these men are
our friends or opponents, we insist
that they be made to 'toe the mark
in the matter of duty to the public.
"The Times, with other papers, has
recently insisted that the men who
are alleged to have wrecked the Flor
ida Life Insurance Company, Jack
sonville-managed concern, with which
the American Life Insurance Com
pany, a Tampa-organized concern,
was merged, be made to pay the
proper penalty if proven guilty of
criminal acts.
"The State, published in Jackson
vile by Arthur K. Taylor and Bryan
: Mack, demands, in cartoon and edi-
torial, an investigation of the failure
of the Florida Life Insurance Com
pany, the Commercial Bank and the
: Florida Fire and Casualty Insurance
! Company, Jacksonville concerns
, which brought loss to a small army OF
people living in all sections of Flor
ida. In it's cartoon the State demands
that the proper authorities go after
the gentleman CRATER and justly
criticises the Florida officials who
, slept at-the switch while these con-
Germs went the route of loss-bringine
failure. The concluding paragraph OF
the States editorial is: The state OF
Florida vigorously prosecutes a poor
negro criminal and winks at scoun.
drel who loots bank and robs wom-
en- and children The State also says
This bank failure in itself isn't hall
as disgraceful as the conduct of the
state of Florida in not going to the
root of the matter and exposing tn,
real conditions
"On the Everglades matter tn,
Times stands just where it stands
5 with reference to the Florida Life In
surance Company and other concern
that have been wrecked.
:, "We demand justice in behalf o
e the people and if the people have il
s the past failed to elect officials VIII
: have courage and ability enough t
d give them justice, it IS high time tina
% they elect men who have such courag
o and ability.
= eff other Florida newspapers wi
Is join US in a fight of this character
"a decided change will soon he brouoh
IS about in Florida's political and finan
o cial circles"
Is ---------