The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-05-09
{. C. FLETCHER URGES
Voters TO SELECT
ONLY CLEAN MEN
TO REPRESENT THEM
Lakeland, Fla, May It'll, 1918.

~" 'h0H uihoo W NC iSCcpLlVe VI
the truth, l feel that it is my duty to
speak word of warning at this
time. | want to do my bit to help
guard the portals of truth and hon.
esty that have been attacked by dis.
honest and discontinued persons.
In my own experience, unjust and
harsh critics took advantage of two
representative bodies of men like the
grand juries of 1915 and 1917 of Polk
County to do their dirty work and
help contaminate the politics of the
entire county. Is it just or honest,
to remain silent and let the wrong
element domineer and mislead the
people? | say NO, The members
of the grand-juries of 1915 and 1917
know who came behind closed doors
and had influence with them by CIV
ing false evidence Shall we keep
men i'll Office who are guilty of such
low principle? | say that if we know
of anything wrong that is going on
and we do not speak and condemn
we are not worthy of the confidence
of the people.
| have been servant of the peo-
pie for five years ind | tried to serve
them unselGshly and efficiently as
road-spnervisor. and as convict war
den, while | was logged, bounded,
and unjustly criticised by dirty po-
litical factions. One more | deem it
c&pcdient and necessary to sound a
note of warning to honest, thinking
people in order that you may arouse
from your condition of
lethargy caused either by ignorance
or indifference.
This is no time for any one to drift
along in ignorance or indifference.
# You do not understand the facts,
then awake and look around you and
investigate as have done. If you
do not understand the facts, then
awake and look around you and in
vestigate as l have done. If you are
Indifferent as to which faction leads
you, honest or dishonest, then you
ire foolish and as bad as criminals.
While serving, I believed it my
1uty as servant to learn all that
Gould about the men that served un-
Ter. with, and over me, and I have
been watching things with unwinking
eyes, and l have learned to know
people, and the motives of their &C.
ions, by their daily walk and CONVEX.
,ation.
This article is not written through
malice or jealousy, but it is written
or educational and uplifting pur-
,oses so that we may awake and
brow off greed and it's disciples, and
~ nothing but the truth, move on to
better, clearer regime in county pol
tics. Let us safeguard our rights by
'lecting honest, efficient men who
lave the ability and who are broad.
minded enough to realize the fact
hat they are to be- the servants of
he people, and not the bosses.
We must realize the fact that when
announce that II elected,
hey will serve the people to the best
t their ability does not mean any
hing in articular. We must elect
nen that are willing to state over
heir signatures what they stand for,
nd what may be expected of them,
nd when they are asked for an in
estigation they will make some ef
ort to vindicate the truth, let it hurt
'HoIn IL uidy. I!
Fellow citizens, beware of the two.
iced politicians and newspapers that
ill not help safeguard truth and !,
onesty, and place the responsibility
here it rightly belongs. The press
mighty power and may be used :
, mislead the people, or to lead them
see things as they are. Any paper !.
lat will not publish both sides of a =
)ubtful criticism is dishonest to the '
itent that its narrowness deprives
le public of part of the evidence
at is necessary to be all in before
honest Judgment is passed. :,
VIII the press please publish this
lall note of warning: May worth :,
lille citizens of Polk county inter- =,
t themselves for the sake of free
IN and right at home, while the
)rld is in agony, because the Ger
an people never realized until too :,
te that when the wicked rule, the -
ople mourn" -
c. G. FLETCHER. =.