The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-09

ton in open session with probably
five hundred present to present the
matter to the legislature to ask them
to pass the resolution to submit to
the people this proposed amend
mend. Do you suppose they gum
shoed it through or over or under the
Legislature? At the last session of
the association there was a campaign
committee appointed in open session
| to conduct the campaign and to pro-
perly present it to the public and
they are doing the best they can with
their very limited means. What do
you suppose those horrible pictures
that you spoke of some time ago in
which the dilemma of the school board
was so faithfully portrayed were for?
Did that look like gumshoeing? The
policy has been the very opposite.
The common, ordinary. everyday
people, Mr.. Crimson, were not con-
suited about the amendment; they
did not ask for it. and did not know
there was any move to submit it to
them. The teachercraft never con-
suits the common people about any
thing. 1t never asks the people if,
they want their children loaded down
with freak studies that must be learn
ed out of expensive books. It has
built up an expensive and dispropor-
tionate system of education and find
| ing it is becoming more than can be
paid for, instead Of trying to reduce
expenses in the only practical way, it
calls for more taxes; and if it OBJ
tains more taxes it will lay on more
expense. What do we think the hor-
rible pictures are for? Well, if our
eyes were good, and we had a little
% rifle and time to go out in the
woods, one of them would make an
excellent target. Or if they could be
shipped to France, the boys in the
dugouts could draw checkerboards on
their backs.)
You are kind enough to say eve
think the teachers should be better
paid, but an honest and economical
state government could pay them
more without saddling an amend
ment on the people," How? From
what source? / would again suggest
that you consult a lawyer
/ I've have been consulting one of
the best lawyers and best-posted pub
lie men in the state about public at
fairs. Your little fling about super
intendent's salaries shows you are no
Moses yourself.)
am not called upon to defend the
state government but have been in
the closest official touch with it for
nearly ten years and have not seen
the least sign of dishonesty. The
state educational department is strug-
Cling along with cramped quarters in
the capitol and very limited office
help as we have been doing here. We
ihave to make voluminous reports to
the state superintendent and also to
the comptroller and we find that if
there is anything not clear to them
we have to make it so. do not say
/ that | always agree with them in
] policy but / have no reason to sus-
Ipect dishonesty.
/ (You fool yourself. Mr.. Brinson,
about your being in closest official
/ touch" with the state government.
You have never been in the lodge
room yet; the high gazoozalum has
only let you feed tin cans to the goat.
Also, please observe, we said Estate
government" We did not refer spec
tally to the educational department.
If there is corruption and careless
mess in other departments, they will
react on the one you are connected
with. We bank on the honesty OF
j Superintendent Sheats, and it's our
impression that the educational de-
lpartment of state affairs is more
cleanly administered than any other
But if you can't see there is misman-
i agement and graft in Florida affairs
] it's clear that your powers of observ-
ance are not of the first class; and
you are not called on to defend the
state government as whole, any
howl
Your argument in regard to the
salaries of teachers is ridiculous. II
is correct when you say that "Taxes
by the way. is something compare
!. lively few teachers have to worry
about. The average man teacher sell
dom pays anything but his poll tax
The women don't pay that" Too true
and sad it is that it is so. To the
shame of the country is this the fact
why shouldn't the teachers pay
taxes, Mr.. Crimson? Every teacher
has personal property, clothes, jewel
Try, books, etc. Why shouldn't they
pay on them? Every teacher receives
:. as much benefit from the state, coun-
tyi and municipal governments as the
richest citizens. Why shouldn't he OF
: she return his or her personal prop
erty and pay taxes on it? Not that
we mean for this to apply to teachers
alone. The state is full of men and
women, enjoying all the protection OF
Its laws. using its roads and other
ipublic facilities, and most of them
making living, and yet never pay
: ing cent, except those of the men
who pay poll tax. If all these people
fpaid, you would have more money
.