The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-03
WHO is EvApINc THE Law?

The Evening News, in its editorial
Of Thursday afternoon, seeks to throw
the onus of the very unfortunate diff
ferences of opinion which have arise
between the two newspapers upon The
Journal possibly without considering
that the public has a long memory, and
win recall the fact that the harshest
utterances Of this campaign have APP
peared in it's afternoon paper.
The Journal has no feeling of any
thing but personal friendliness for The
Evening News. But this is not a fight
between The Journal and The News,
for the purpose OF airing their differ
ences. 1t is a fight that is waged for
a principle The Journal is firm in the
belief that justice and right will win,
and that the $4,000 OF the tax payers
money viii not be paid over to private
interests for a wharf on which a free
rental will be given for five years, and
contract entered into by which the
city would virtually become an insur-
ance company.
Says The News: Suppose the com
missioners had pursued the tactics of
the obstructing element and had gone
about saying unkind things about the
court Cd and had refused to abide the
decision of the tribunal provided by
law CD and chosen by the people as
the arbiter Of the legal questions in
volved in the injunction suit? They
would have forfeited the respect and
confidence of the pubkc and would
not have demeaned themselves as good
citizens"
Is not this somewhat confusing? Is
not this just what the commissioners
have done. They have refused to abide
by the decision of the tribunal pro-
vided BY law.
The law has been plainly pointed
out to the city commissioners, and
they have refused to abide by it, and
so upon them rests the responsibility
Of the situation that the people of
Pensacola face today.
The News laments: "No, the COM
missioners had to be abused, and have
their motives impugned, because they
would not accept the dictation Of a
little group"
1t almost moves one to tears, the
magnanimity of the commissioners and
the heartlessness of the little group.
who in spite of the fact that they be-
lieve it is Illegal, and their lawyer de-
c1ares it is illegal. and the judge says
it is illegal, for the sage Of perfect
peace and harmony are not willing to
have more than two thirds of a quar-
ter of a million dollars paid over to
private interests for wharf, that the
members of the Society of American
Engineers declare is incapable of ex-
pansion.
Does The News believe that for the
sake Of harmony the people should
submit to something that they know
to be illegal?
And does The News mean to say
that the city commissioners are the
only ones who have been abused?
The News says that the morning
paper refers to the membership OF the
Chamber of Commerce and prints the
list of the names of the splendid bust
ness men who happen to be @e4ficers
at this time. Their ability and gem
uine worth has never been questioned
by The News"
And yet The News surely must know
that in publishing the scurrilous article
signed Tax Payer, that any tribunal
would hold The News responsible for
that attack, inasmuch as it went into
that newspaper anonymously, and that
four of these officers were specifically
named.
All anyone has to do to see where
the abuse comes from is to follow
closely the columns Of The Evening
News.
There was one statement made by |
Tax Payer that was not overlooked |
by The Journal on Thursday, and |
which only time and space prevented |
having mention in The Journal of Fri
day morning. And that was the ques-
tion of city and county advertising
Tax Payer is very frank about this, |
SO The Journal viii be equally frank. |
Tax Payer says I'VE wonder If the |
fact that the morning paper is not
patronized by either the city or county |
has anything to do with I
the attitude Of that paper?9
It is fact that The Journal gets |
very little Of the city and county adj |
the bulk of which goes to |
The News. 1t had not occurred to The |
Journal, but since Tax Payer has /
brought up that question, can it be that |
this advertising is influencing The +
News? The Journal has never sought |
to have the bulk Of either the city or
the county advertising. But The Jour I
nal has always believed and still be- /
Iieves that a rightful share OF that adj |
vertising should come to this paper.
But II it is a question of taking so
much advertising and then keeping
quiet as to city and county affairs, in
which the people are rightfully in I
terested, then all The Journal has to
say is that The News is welcome to
al that it gets.