The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-08-21
CASE OF BLAKE CAMPBELL

The other day, the Tampa Tribune
made a dreadfully silly attack on the
newspapers of the state that have
mentioned the case of Blake Camp
bell, Gov. Cats brother-in-law, re-
Gently paroled out of the federal
penitentiary. It inveighed against
their '1ack of decency" is nosing into
the governors family affairs and
their heartlessness toward Campbell.
None of the state papers we have
seen have been any more indecent in
this case than the Tribune is almost
every day in other criminal cases. 1t
was a matter of news, the governor
himself did more to make it public
than anyone else. Neither has any
state paper we have read shown any
heartlessness toward Campbell. None
of them went outside legitimate
bounds in speaking of the case.
The Tribune wound up its TRADE
with the remark, "This ought to end
the Blake Campbell agitation" Two
or three days later, it printed a long
letter from a lady recently arrived
from Alabama. This lady praised the
high nobleness of the Tribune in its
unjust attack on those papers of the
state that do not join it in worshiping
it's joss Cats, slobbered over Camp
bell and wound up by hoping that the
press of Florida would help rather
than hinder in raising that unfortu-
nate brother to his proper place
among men. She said, among other
things:
"Blake Campbell was no ordinary
criminal, but had always held the en-
viable title of gentleman in the
truest sense of the word-having en-
tree into the best homes of the city
and holding the regard of the public
in general and his employers in par
ticular, so the knowledge of his
downfall created profound sorrow
among the officials and his associates
in the First National Bank. There is
moral, if not legal, difference be-
tween the embezzler who stealthily
robs and then attempts to leave with
his ill-gotten gains. for parts I'M
known and the one who, through
temptation, 'borrows' to make invest
ments-all the time sure he can re-
turn the self-acquired loan OF
course, both are wrong. but for the
former there can only be a sense OF
Justice done when he is apprehend-
ed-for the latter, feeling of pity
at the frailty of some natures. Mr.
CampbelPs crime was that of Dor
rowed' funds and investments that
didn't pay. His suffering before his
/ detection must have been as great as
his humiliation at becoming an inmate
of federal prison. No doubt-and
the recent action of the federal au.
thorities prove it-he has been g
model prisoner, has rendered valu,
able assistance to the penitentiary by
his work in the bookkeeping depart
ment and deserves clemency."
Doesn't this disgust any man who
believes in justice? Is it the duty OF
the press of Florida to excuse a mar
with the instincts and position of 6
gentleman, who takes advantage OF
the position won for him by those
qualities to rob his employers of q
fortune. Isn't it more the duty oil
the press of the state to sympathize
with the impoverished cracker who i:
sent to the pen for not less than two
years for stealing COW, Or an ig
norant negro who works six month:
on the roads for swiping a pair Of
shoes? In any other case the Tri
bune would have said so. Time ant
time again has it denounced the dis
proportionate punishments meted ou
Iby the courts.
1t seems to US that Campbell die
Igood business. He stole $4,000, much
more than the majority of US cal
earn in life time. For this, he only
had to work land not very HARDY fol
three years and half. Pretty goo,
business. Few of us are able to do 81
well.
We agree with the Tribune that i
is time to end the Blake Campbell
agitation. The longer it keeps it up
the more silly it makes itself. If i
will taboo the subject and put it
sob-sisters on some other job, tn,
public will be grateful.