The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-06-17
HER LAST CHANCE.

Arcadia is 70 have q big fourth of
July celebration and at meeting of
the Commercial Club of Arcadia,
according to the DeSoto County
News, ]. L. Jones suggested that
the club recommend that through
the anti-divisiCn committee invita-
tons be sent to the people Of all the
division towns and communities
1t is we'll known that Mr.. Jones has
been one Of the leaders of the OPP
position to division. Last week the
DeSoto County News, which Is
largely if not wholly owned by the
Jones family, carried headline
reading Cooper and EthereGge
Elected by Big Majority - Division
Wins" The News records that at
meeting of the Commercial Club
1.-The matter of inviting closer CO.
operation, a betteg good fellowship
and more cordial relations between
the other tows in the county and
Arcadia was taken up" And by ex-
tending an invitation to the divis-
ionists to meet with them on the
fourth or day to be observed in
stead (for the fourth comes on Sun
day this year, lit is proposed to
Ishow the other communities that
laltnough Arcadia is hard fighter.
size is good loser" according to
the News.
Just what meaning may Re taken
from all this? Does Mr. Jones end
other anti-divisionists really realize
that they are defcGted, and realiz-
ing this will not continue a fight
that is bound, in the end, to prove
expensive and fruitless except to en-
gender more and lasting ill-will for
Arcadia? Is Arcadia ready to adj
NIT defeat in her selfish and de
ferseless fight against TIE people
that have paid tribute to her so
} long, and realizing tnat she is de-
feated, now seeks to make peace on
the best terms possible? We hope
this may be true.
BY playing tar with the people
of the four proposed new counties
Arcadia may retain her position as
the commercial center of the vast
territory now called DeSotc county,
and being the larger of the five
leading towns of DeSoto she can
WELD a strong influence in the af-
fairs of the new counties.
Will Arcadia play fair? BY their
votes Tuesday the majority of the
people of DeSoto county said in a
way that leaves no room for mis-
taking their desires I'VE want d-
b., vision" After thus expressing
themselves, will the Arcadia men
who have heretofore blocked every
effort to have DeSoto divided, again
60 to Tallahassee and attempt to
defeat the people, or will they go to
Tallahassee and tell the Legislature
that, the people having unmistak-
declared themselves for division, it
Is the to give it to them? We can
hardly believe that they will pur-
sue the latte? course, but if they
really realize t&eir defeat and are
only bali fair they will certainly
not make another fight to defeat di-
vision.
We believe that there can be no
real cooperation. good Fellowship
and progress in DeSoto county until
the division question is settled and
settled right-Pnd the only right
way is to give Purta Gorda Moore
Haven, Wauchula, Avon Park or
Sebring a county seat.
If Arcadia is ready to make peace
with her neighbors. give them their
rights without interference, and
give Punta Gorda the square deal
she is entitled to, we are sure that
the people of Punta Gcrda are
ready TO join with Arcadia and help
to develop what is rcw DeSoto into
the richest and best section of Flor
ida-which it could have been
years ago had it not been for the
continual squabblc and fight over
division.
Division is coming. This is Ar
cadia's last chance to set herself
right. If she realizes her opportun-
ity she can regain the friendship of
Punta Gorda and every other sec
| ton. If she does rot see the hand |
writing and persists in her efforts to
keep the peoDlc of Punta Gorda in
a state Of political serfdom. even
though her efforts are forcdoomed
TO failure, it will be many years be-
fore we can forgive her and extend
the hand of good fellowship-and |.
we believe that this expression
voices the sentiment of majority /.