The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-06-27

/ RACER
about it; tell them why you love
Frecker so much and have learned to
despise DR.. Cox so well? Make it
plain, couch it in so plain language
that che who runs may read"
| / do not know what hidden motives
you and Frecker have for wanting to
| get rid of DIR. Cox, but / do know
that from the testimony taken before
the house committee, if I had been
governor, / would have asked Mr..
Frecker for his resignation by wire,
and if he had not sent it Immediately
would have bodily fired him.
Governor Falsifed the Record
In your letter to the supreme court
under date of June II, 1919, in para
graph two you quote the senate in
vestigating committee as follows:
That DR.. Cox be removed from the
payroll of the state of Florida, and
that he be allowed no further expense
account and that he be removed from
office, and that the governor should
be the one to do this"
| have before me Senate Journal of
June 8. 1919, containing the report of
the committee appointed by the pres
ident of the senate to investigate the
affairs of the state board of health,
and / am unable to find any sentence
with the above quotation contained
therein / do not know what private
report this committee made to you,
but from their report published in the
L 70
the committee correctly, and you
have also failed to note other recon-
mendations which am now going to
call to your attention.
| In paragraph four of the report of
the senate committee, you will find
this language: "The president of the
board of health was derelict in his
duty In approving the improper ex-
pense accounts" Why is it that you
passed up President Frecker when
your direct attention had been called
by this committee to a dereliction of
duty by him?
In paragraph five you will find
these words relative to the friction
existing between the state health of
ficer and the state board of health:
''In this connection the committee
recommends that such person or per-
sons be removed from the duties per-
tanning to the health officer of the
state board of health as may be nee
essary to bring about harmony and
insure the better protection of the
health of the state"
People Want to Know
This committee in this recommen
dation plainly says to you that in
their judgment friction does exist, not
only with the state health officer, but
with members of the state board of
health, and they recommend that you
dismiss such men from the state
board of health, and yet, you paid no
attention to this matter and retained
Mr.. Frecker and attempted to remove
the state health officer and the people
would like to know why you do not
remove both of them.
In paragraph six this senate COM
D1ittee plainly tells you that "politics
has crept into the board of health to
the detriment of the health interests
OF the state, and the people of this
state believe that this committee told
the truth, and hey also believe that
the present president of the board Of
health is a political henchman at
tempting to build up a political ma
chine.
There Probably Is
Is there some kind of a secret un-
Outstanding between you and this
man Frecker whereby you are afraid
to exercise your executive authority
and fire him? Tell the people of this
state all about it, governor, as they
are waiting by the thousands to hear
it from your lips.
Frecker's Qualifications
/ want to say to you plainly, that
to my mind after investigating this
board, and inquiring into other things,
l am of the opinion that Frecker is
about as well qualified to be president
Of the state board of health as All
ante-bellum negro is to be president
of Harvard University.
want you to understand me thor.
oughly. 1t is your business to retain
or fire this man now, and it will be
the business of the people to see that
no Office of trust is ever placed in
your hands again, when you as gov-
ernor will retain a man who is daily
jeopardizing the health of the people
to crafty personal within, and who
Is fiagrantly violating his sworn duty
to carry some political point / say
to you that it is time for "old man
people" to wake up, and take stock
and see what manner of man they
have In the governors chair.
The evidence is all in and sworn
to, and it has been submitted to you,
both written and oral. You may ig-
more the people now, but / want to
say to you that the time will come
when you will wish that you had casl
this man off as though he were a SER
pent. Hug him now, governor, while
the hugging is good, for bye and bye