The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-09
PRESS COMMENT
The Lindsey Bill

tain bill Enacted into law is no reason
| why It should be done. This paper has
fought bills proposed and wanted by
governors, and certainly 1t does no.
propose to bow before mere board"
This bill is inquitious because il,
| even as amended and presented now.
| takes from" certain class prosperity
which the legislature sixty years ago
gave them.
Section five OF the bill is the only
one that has been changed since The
Tribune published the proposed bill
last week. That section as now
| amended provides for the occupant OF
filled in land to obtain a release, grant
or conveyance of such land by paying
certain costs and expenses.
Provided the land has been COM
pletely and actually filled in: but the
deed only covers the land so CON-
not give him title to the submerged
land lying between his filled in land
and the channel.
Here Is an amendment that provides
that if one man has actually filled in
the land, which the bill by it's first
sections says is the property of the
state then he shall be given title to it
upon the payment of certain expense
fees; but his neighbors adjoining him
on the right and on the left who have
not had filled in their lands similarly
claimed and possessed, shall lose them.
Also; that if man has actually filled
in the entire distance to the channel
in front Of his up-hand riparian prop
erty, he gets a deed, out to the chan
mel; but If he has filled in only ten
feet out from his shore line then he
gets title only to that ten feet.
BY, what analogy or line of legal
reasoning the amenders of this section
intend to justify giving something
they claim is the states to a man
under conditions which have nothing
at all to do with the question of
changing title. we cannot for, the life
of us understand.
Claiming that these lands so held
are merely ''squatted">on, by what line
of thought and analogy does the 1. l.
board justify the man who has made
complete getaway with state prop
erty an honest man, while holding the
man who has made only a partial get
away guilty, and forced to disgorge
The further they go in trying to
amend or justify the Lindsey bill, the
worse mess they make it of and the
more iniquities they display. The best
that can be done to it is: Kill it'll
Tampa Tribune
Sunday Baseball
Unless the court program should
BE changed those baseball players
q IN ;1lo ~
state law prohibiting Sunday baseball,
will answer to the charges next Fri
day in the criminal court of Dade
county over which Judge Tom B. Noe
fleet presides and in which county
solicitor Fred w. Pine represents the
state as prosecutor.
Since the governor of Florida called
attention of sheriffs to the fact that
law exists prohibiting Sunday base
ball a certain number of games have
been played, as scheduled, with. full!
knowledge in advance by those play
ing that they would be arrested.
To the laymen not familiar with
legislative and court procedure it is
going to prove interesting to watch
developments in this connection. That
the law was regularly enacted and
exists now is not denied. That the
governor and sheriffs performed their
duty in ordering and making arrests
is conceded. The plain situation is |
therefore, that of a number of citizens
in the role of defendants. on a crimi |
nal charge. admitting their act of vio-
lation, conceding the existence of the |
restraining law and yet entering pleas
of mot guilty" as will probably bel
done in order to test the law.
There appears to be a strong feeling
locally that juries will be inclined to
render verdicts of acquittal and
thereby make a shortcut toward per- /
hitting Sunday games to proceed in |
spite of the law. This method, how |
ever, beside being a most questionable!
one. would not figure in the least in
correcting the law, and violators |
would constantly be liable to arrest |
thereafter.
If professional ball players imagine |
that the mere citation of those who
violate the Sunday law for appearance
in court. and prompt acquittals for
sentimental reasons, will meet the
views of Florida's chief executive.
they may discover that there is a
serious side to the matter of law en-
forcement and that law is law.
whether applied to week day or Sab
bath.
Obviously the Sunday baseball game
in Florida is up against a stone wall
which is bound to create some trouble
before it can be adjusted to the salts /
faction OF all who are interested.
Tho only real immunity for baseball !
players, managers and fans. is to
secure repeal or amendment of the |
law, by the legislature, or to obtain
suukreme court decision that it is TN
constitutional. Both methods are
under consideration They will require |
much time.
And meanwhile Sunday baseball vii.
continue. according to assurances by !,
league managers and arrests OF
players will follow. each game.--Miami
Metropolis.