The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-08-06

was compromise, BY which Drew
was to be declared governor Of Flor
ida, and the electoral vote OF Flor
ida given to Hayes.
Now a few words as to Judge r.
B. Hilton. Judge Hilton was one Of
the ablest and one of the most cult
waited gentlemen IN the state. al
man Of the highest integrity, purest
character and Hottest patriotism. r
was elected to congress as a demo
crat in 1850, his term of Office to be-
gin on the 4th of March, 1861, but
Florida seeded from the union in
January, 1861. He was then elected
to the Confederate congress. When
Governor BLoxham was counted out,
after having been elected lieutenant
governor in 1870, Judge Hilton vol
unteered his services and taking the
case before the. supreme court, as
has been related, secured the decision
of that tribunal in favor of Cover
nor Bloxham, who was declared to
have been elected lieutenant. COVER
nor. He volunteered his services, as
did Judge Campbell and Judge Raney
In the legal proceedings before the
supreme court Of the state, which
resulted in the election of Governor
Drew. AS presidential elector in
1876, he stumped the state from PEN
sacola to Key West. In those days,
when. there were no railroads in
Florida, except from Pensacola to
Pollard in Alabama, from River
Junction to Jacksonville and from
Fernandina to Cedar Keys, to canvass
this state was great and expensive
undertaking, but Judge Hilton did it
and mortgaged his home to secure
the money to do it with. After the
| democrats got into power in 1877,
as the result Of the work of Judge
| Hilton, Judge Raney and Judge
Campbell, Judge Raney was appoint
ed attorney general by Governor
| Drew, and a better selection could
not have been made. Judge Hilton
received nothing. Judge Campbell
never had political aspirations or am
billions. His aspirations and ambi-
tons were strictly and exclusively
| professional, and he stood in the very
front ranks of his profession. Judge
Hilton did not cease his efforts in
behalf of the people, but begun at
once to agitate the question as to
whether the lines Of railroads above
mentioned We're immune from taxa
ton These roads claimed to be ex-
empt from taxation for IS years
from 1855, under the internal i'm.
provement acts of that year. Judge
| Hilton contended that the exemption
was personal exemption and that
immunity from taxation granted t.
railroad companies does not pass BY
virtue of a conveyance of the rail
road and its franchises, and that
these roads had been conveyed and
| re-chartered. The attorney general
Judge. Raney, did not agree, witt
Judge Hilton, but contended that Il
tax these roads would impair the
obligations of a contract and be VIC.
lative of the federal constitution. Sc
confident was Judge Hilton. Of the
correctness of his contention that If
1881 he prepared and secured the
passage by the legislature of Law
taxing these roads, and also of g
Joint resolution, requiring the gov,
ernor and comptroller to institute
legal proceedings against all rail
road companies who had refused Il
pay taxes on their railroad property
/ for the collection of taxes. The reso
luton also authorized the governo
and comptroller to employ counse
other than the attorney general t.
prosecute such suits, the compensa
ton Of such counsel to be contingent
upon and paid out of the money real
lied from such suits.
Hon. w. D. Bloxham, then Cover
nor, and Hon. w. D. Barnes, thel
i comptroller, employed General z. A
J Perry of Pensacola to represent TIL
state in these suits. General PER-!
associated with him the late Judg
John W. Malone of Quincy. The ques
, ton went to the supreme court Of tn
: United States, and Judge Hilton
contention was fully sustained b.
that court, and hundreds of thou
sands of dollars placed upon the ia,
| books of the state Of Florida. TIL
= back tax case Of $4,000, of whicl
{ We used to hear so much from on
, old friend, Judge w, B. Lamar, wa
! a part of and grew out of tbs
cases.
Judge Hilton died a very poo
= man, having given his talents, hi
e ability and his time to an unappre
r ciative people ard party. He wa
q not an intriguer or wire pu1ler, con
E sequentiy others reaped the benefit
d | of his works. He was product Q
Y the early and better days Of the re
e public, and what Grattan said of tn
: Earl of Chatham may truthfully b
e said of Judge Hilton: Modern do
d | generacy had not reached him"
/. l have felt constrained in iustic
IL