The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-05
Public Office a Private Snap?

! In the good old days of Matt Quay,
and Boss Tweed, and Cats, the motto
seems to have been, "a public office is
private snap
The latest Florida disgrace comes
again. from the Industrial school for
boys. at Mariana. The board of COM
missioners for state institutions has
/ published in full the charges that led
to the removal of DIR. Frank p. Nc
Clane, superintendent Of that institu-
perintendent. They used the public of
flee as their private snap.
They bought land in their own name
and used the states wards, the boy
inmates of the institution. to cut and
haul wood from those lands which they
sold "unmeasured' to the institution
charging the state 50 per cord" for
it. Some idea of the energy with which
they pushed the wood business may be
had from the boards statement that
Between the date, Jan. 20, 1920, and
May Is, 1921 Qess than sixteen
months) the state paid to these par
tie salone the enormous sum of
So, 32O33 for wood" In addition, they
caused the lands so bought for them
selves, and paid for by the labor Of the
boys and sales of wood to the state, to
be fenced, cleared and cultivated by
the states wards, the boys at the in
stitution, without recompense to the
boys or to the state. Other charges are
included in the statement, all tending
to show that the spirit of grab when
you get in" seems to dominate some
men yet.
Is it not possible ever to have that
Mariana school conducted in clean,
high toned, honorable manner? Is it
possible that the very spirit of the
institution is tinged with crime and
criminality of thought? Is the states
institution for the training and
strengthening out of hayward boys to
be ever a cesspool Of rottenness? Is it
a political plaything to be handed to
a man, willy nilly, and then to be left
until the corruption which ferments
and blows off the lid itself, as it has
hitherto so often done?
The Tribune knows nothing of the
man now in charge of the Mariana
school save that he has been an en-
ploye of the state at Chattahoochee.
With his record there we are not IA
miliar. Ee may, or may not, be a
genius. The Tribune believes we have
had too many smart men, at the
Mariana school. What is needed now
is an honest man; one who win not be
looking always for some crack into
which he can poke his finger and pull
out plum for himself from the
states pie.
The Tribune knows there are honest
men in this state. It believes there are
more honest men in politics, generally,
than there are crooks; but it does
seem a. pity that this state should in
the last few years have drawn so gem
erous a percentage Of those who res
gard a public office merely as a pri-
vate snap.
The governor and the board of state
institutions has done right in pub
fishing the reasons for the removal OF
these men. duplication of charges in
case OF other removals, if such shall
be necessary. will go a long way to-
ward keeping those inclined to be
light fingered with the states funds
and treasure. from taking what does
not belong to them. An expose of the
criminal for that is what such men
are. viii make one criminally inclined
in politics and in office. stop, look and
listens before he reaches the dangerous
crossing of public office, and private,
illgotten gain.-Tampa Tribune.