The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-03-24
APOLOGIES IN ORDER

We appreciate the following fine
piece. of sarcasm from the Miami
Metropolis:
"When a man does rude or boor-
ish thing, if he has been well brought
up, he apologies. A town should do
no less.
aLast week a winter visitor was
hailed before court in Miami, charg-
ed with violation of the liquor laws.
Fifty-eight cases of liquor had been
found in his private car and in shack
on his property at Cocoanut Grove,
and he was ordered to appear before
the United States Commissioner, for
all the world as if he had been a poor
man!
"It was outrageous. Listed IN
Who's Who reputed to be many
times a millionaire, and visitor who
has honored Miami with his presence
many winter seasons, Harry Black
was accused of violating the laws,
when as everyone knows an irrespon-
sible negro was the one at fault.
"Without Harry Blacks knowledge,
and of course utterly without his
sanction, the negro stored many thou
sand dollars worth of liquor in Harry
Blacks private car. It is even re-
ported that irresponsible persons i'm
pudently selected Harry Blacks bay
front property-on which he is to
build magnificent home-as land
ing place for the liquor that was
struggled without his knowledge or
consent into his private car!
Forgetting that Harry Black is
q multi-millionaire, forgetting that
he is honoring Miami with his pres
ence, forgetting that laws were never
made to apply to the man of wealth as
they do to everyday people, over
jealous officers served a warrant for
the arrest of this important visitor!
They really. required him to give a
bond of fifteen hundred dollars! Even
ordered him to appear in court! 1t
seems incredible that there could be
officers of the law in Dade county
with so little discrimination.
"But Commissioner Graham, very
Just Judge, is to be commended for
his proper handling of this matter.
lie Immediately saw that Harry Black
had been placed in this embarrassing
position through the knavery of an
unreliable servant, and promptly
nolle pressed the case.
Furthermore, States Attorney
Granting appeared in, defense of
Harry Black-a real reprimand to the
high-handed actions of the policemen
and federal agents who so totally for
got their good manners, and so seri-
ously put in jeopardy Miami's repu-
tation for treating wealthy visitors
with the Difference due them.
The fact of the matter is that there
should be no notice-no embarrassing
notice taken of anything wealthy
man does. When a man becomes a
millionaire he is removed from COM
mon clay, be that clay lowly negro
porter or the lowly law. When man
becomes multjmillionaire. he is even
higher on the pedestal, as far from
the application of the rules. and regu-
lations that govern the rights of COM
mon men as skies are distant from
the stubby fields.
And in case like Harry Blacks
when he was made the innocent VIC
tim of lawbreaking darkey, it was
ridiculous to hale him into court,
ridiculous to ask his impudent ques-
tions, and outrageous to publish ac-
counts of it in newspaper! They
should hang the negro-and proba-
bly, win.
aNor does The Metropolis like to
close these remarks without calling
attention to the few breaches of
etiquette in this direction in Miami.
Commissioner Graham must have
been shocked and grieved at the in
eident, the attorneys for the defense
must have felt like pouring vitriolic