The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-09-14
THE BANNER ACCUSED or PRE-
vARiCATINc.
Jacksonville, Sept. 10, 1917.


this statement:
ITO dismiss summarily without an
opportunity to be heard"
This was said in referring to the
dismissal of Volusia county commits
sioners. 1t is about as near the truth
as it is possible for you to approach
when you are writing under duress.
If you are trying to give facts you
could have gotten the facts. and
should have done so as a newspaper
man.
Do you know that these commits
sioners were there in person and rep
resented by their attorney at the
same time.
Tell the truth, it is sufficient.
Yours for fair play,
C. w. WENTWORTH,
The Banner obtained its informa-
ton from what it regarded a reliable
source, and if Mr.. Wentworth will
read the following letter from Hon.
Chris. o. Codrington, editor of the
DeLand News, former ardent sup
porter of Governor Cats, and mem
Der of the board of Volusia commits
sioners, he will see that every word
the Banner said is absolutely con-
firmed
We hope that this letter will be
given a careful persual, and we will
say for Mr.. Wenworths benefit that
no man more than Chris Codrington
walks in the footsteps of George
Washington.
The letter follows:
DeLand, Fla, Sept. Z, 1917
To the Editor, Tampa Times: Your
Tallahassee correspondent was not
all fair in his telegraphic report about
the investigation" of charges against
the Volusia county commissioners,
held before His Nibs, the governor,
Tuesday. Of course, l appreciate that
a correspondent who is wiring in
news cannot go into full details in
such small matter. l am, therefore,,
writing this letter explanatory, which
l trust you will see fit to use.
When the governor notified me
that charges had been preferred
against the board, l learned that Rep.
David Sholtz, of Daytona, was behind
the move, | saw at once that it was
simply a move to build up political
machine to hoist Sholtz into the SEN
ate
The charges on which the entire
board was removed were filed by ex-
Judge Isaac A. Stewart, about two
months ago, but the governor paid
no attention to them, not even noti-
flying the board of~their existence I'M
til Sholtz got behind the movement.
Being confident there would be no
fair investigation, | refused to go to
Tallahassee and wrote the governor
telling him l would answer the
charges from my office in DeLand if
he saw fit to send me copy of them.
Following is the governors "digni-
fled" answer to this letter:
Another Typical Cats Letter.
State of Florida, Executive Cham
Der, Tallahassee, Fla, Aug. %, 1917.
Chris. D. Codrington, DeLand, Fla.
Dear Sir: l note that you will not
be present at the trial. You say you
do not feel financially able to spend
$40 or $50 to make the trip. You can
do as you wish in regard to this mat
ter as this is a free country, but
do not like the tone of your letter.
You say If the charges are real you
are entitled to a copy of them, no ink
ling having yet been given you as
to their nature. You are summoned
here to know the nature of them, but
you refuse to come. In case you are
SuSpcuuCu yOu Will CCl Idtllly hnOW
the reason why. In case you are not
suspended l do not think that I will
send you copy of the charges for
you will not come before me-
Yours very truly,
Sidney J. Cats, governor.
Has the governor a grandson who
writes letters and signs his name to
them?
l am fired, l am told, though the
governor has not so info rmed me, and
no reasons whatever have so far been
given me for this action.
Inside information for One Side.
Two members of the board and its
attorney. Judge Bert Fish. went to
Tallahassee to answer the charges.
The hearing was called for 8 a. M,
Tuesday, and the defendants left
their business and arrived at the
~ nifa1 IN firon hut ho ,ov1caou%sov,