The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-30
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Domestic
IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE AN ALIBI


denies that he is both plaintiff and
defendant in Brinson VS.. Crimson, and
asks to have the case dismissed. But
we doubt that the court, which is the
people, will admit his contention.
We pass over Mr.. Brinson's attempt
to belittle our argument. Our argu-
ment will take care of itself.
Several times in the course of this
discussion, Mr.. Crimson has introduc-
ed entirely irrelevant matter and then
pointed to it with pride as clinching
argument. Such is his query as to
how many teachers in the county we
would consider competent to take
charge of our work. This is not a
parallel case. There is no teacher in
the county that has our technical
training in newspaper work and we
have no technical training as teach
er. But any teacher in the county has
the right TO his or her opinion on
what we write, and we have right
to an opinion of the work of any
teacher, Or of any public school. Mr..
Crimson presents to you the PROPOSE
ton that we have no right to criticise
public school affairs. This is about as
sensible as if we were to take the
position that nobody but another edi-
tor has the right to criticise what we
write for publication.
Mr.. Brinson has always welcomed
our opinions when they were favor
able to him or his work and if we
were arguing in favor of this amend
ment he would lay down and roll over
and stand on his ear to testify his ap-
probation.
Mr.. Crimson can't establish an alibi
for one of himself in Crimson VS.. Brin-
son. That the trustees of various dis,
tricts have asked for help is some
thing it had not occurred to US co
deny, as twas evident they had. But
Mr.. Brinson has to produce the evil
dence that these trustees are insist
ing on this ten-mill amendment. Ger
tain it is that prominent school pat
rons from some of the districts he re-
fers to have told us that they approx
ed of the Stars policy and that they
intended to vote against the amend
ment.
Neither can Mr.. Brinson set aside
his own declaration that we cannot
now build new schoolhouses.
Mr.. Brinson tells you, in another
article, that the amendment is an
after the war measure. We think we
can give you a little data that will
convince you that after the-war con-
ditions were not in the minds of the
people who induced the. legislature to
put this amendment before the voters.
The amendment was called for at
the last meeting of the legislature.
And the legislature met in the same
month that war was declared. 1t adj
journed before this country was fairly
in the war. When the submission Of
this amendment was before the legis-
lature our wisest men, let alone the
politicians that boss Florida, had no
idea of the conditions that would pre-,
vail in year, let alone in two or
three. When you take this induhi-
table fact into consideration, is it not
plain to you that Mr.. Brinson's asser-
ton that the amendment is an after
the war measure is an argument that
only occurred to him recently-prob-
ably only few minutes before he
wrote it?
There is something else that the
voter should consider. Asking the
legislature to submit this amendment,
to the voters was planned by the
educational autocracy" not during
the meeting of the legislature and
after war had been declared, but
months before, when the country was
at peace and when majority of the
people believed that "Wilson would
keep us out of war"
Mr.. Crimson may squirm and deny
and abuse the Star, but that this has