The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-12-23
FROM MR.. FORT

Editor Star: note in the Evening
Star of the 18th inst, an editorial
lauding the present board of county
commissioners for their zealousness in !
the interest of the people and at a !
salary of $500 per annum. Yes, that
amount is fixed by law for each COM
missioner In this county, but suppose
you step over to the clerks office, ex-
anime the budget for this year and see
if they have not provided more than
5000 each for this year.
You also commend them in their
equalization of taxes. etc. Of course,
the law requires them to do this, but
there is a vast difference in equalizing
and assessing taxes. It's sad COM
mentary on any body of men who,
when they have made a mistake then
refuse to correct it. / charge they
have done this in my case, and some
others. / went before them and made
clear and truthful statement, when
! they doubled the value on some of my
property that actually had been a
| liability for the last four years, but
| they refused to decrease it. In all my
! life / never lodged taxes mary
penny. Others who ! represent told
me that they assessed them with more
stock than they owned. | told the
] board these facts. yet no relief. Now
a clean cut case, that we have no re-
dress with them, and yet our editor
(whom l like) glories in extolling
them.
! i was told that revenge is sweet. Of
a truth, he's having his day. You, Mr..
Editor, in your comparison of the
present board to past boards. referred
to some of the past members as butt
heads, grafters, drunkards, etc. A
tremendous, broad assertion. You are
entitled to your opinion, but why will
you drag in such grand charges which
can do no good but much harm in
chafng the bitterness that already
exists between men.
You, Mr.. Editor, have made these
charges. / think have the right to
; demand that you personate, tell US
, who you meant by buttheads, who by
grafters, who by drunkards.
Mr.. Editor, it's my opinion that you
mean to be an impartial, fearless man.
but you are shut-in, editorial writer
for the Ocala Star. You are too busy
) to stir among the people, hence you
are dependent on others for much OF
your information. Therefore you dc
not always reflect the true status OF
things. N. A. Fort.
Alas, Mr.. Fort, and alas. and ther
again, alas some more! We have
praised you much on account of YOU
good work as a commissioner; now
you rebuke US for defending mer
whom we consider unjustly accused.
We have gone over to the court
house and asked the clerk of the court
about that $500 apiece for salary anC
expenses for commissioners. Mr.. M
gent says you are wrong. Mr.. Fort
and we all know that when Perry II
says anything he generally has th'
figures to back it.
We have already said what w,
thought about the equalization O
taxes. Of course, in this big count!
the commissioners have been too heav,
on some. We will take your word TO
know a good many that they didn'
assess half enough. We believe the,
tried to be just to all, but to err i
human.
No use to name the buttheads
hgrafters and drunkards who have bee
= on the board. Some were before you
day, and some you know better tina
: we. Suffice it to say, you have goo
4 reason to know we did not refer t
you.
If you mean by saying we are
"shut-in," that we stay closely in on
Office, Mr.. Fort, you are correct. Blu
we meet every week more prominen
men than you do, we have many othe
ways of obtaining information tina
by personal contact with the people
and we have a good deal of that, toe
We mix around with people NOR
than you imagine, and its safe be
that more men come to our offic
every week than go to your farm. w
have to take other peoples word flo
things, of course; so do you. But W
have pretty good ways of comparin
statements. Did you ever notice ho'
accurately we generally predict a
election?
Merry Christmas. Mr.. Fort, an
many more of them to you and your!
II MmRER nm mr.