The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-11-06
WHO MADE THE PLAN?

Florida, the Ocala Star says: "The
plan was to give at least five of the
six new senators to South Florida, but
the South Florida papers have not
been fair enough to tell their readers
about it."
Indeed, and might we inquire just
who made the plan suggested and
what assurance is there, anywhere,
that the plan, if suggested at all, will
be carried out?
The proposed amendment, itself,
does not say how those six are to be
apportioned and in fact it does NOT
say that there shall be six additional
senator's. 1t leaves the number to
compose the senate entirely to the
legislature of 1923, limiting it only to
thirty-eight, not saying that there
shall be that number or any number
at all.
AS we look back over the history of
the Florida legislature for the past
thirty years, there is nothing to indi-
cate that a legislature, composed as
will be the legislature of next year,
will deal any more fairly with South
Florida than have previous legisla-
lures. In fact, it is thoroughly be-
lieved that the section now in power
will take good care to continue its
control over the legislature and over
legislation, if the proposed amend
ment is accepted by the people.
Possibly the Star does not diligent-
~ read the papers of South Florida,
for they have not only been printing
the call for the election, in which the
amendment is printed in full, but
they have given freely of their space
to discuss various features of the pro-
posed amendment, including that feat
ure which deals with a possible in
crease of the membership of the SEN
ate.-Miami Herald.
There is little use in further argu-
ment with the Herald on this subject.
The campaign is over. But since its
line of talk is more personal to the
Star than to the voters, we will ask in
return how it knows there was no
such plan, and what right has it to
say it will not be carried out? g.
One of the highups on the Herald
was at the capital during most of the
last session, and it was noticeable
PROM, bir ooy,oro,1p;oa+ iorc %ba+ he Sop+
to his paper his own opinions rather
than information.
! The last legislature could not bind
the next one to do anything. But
half the senate holds over, and the
representatives knew enough about
public sentiment to have a fair idea
of what the policy of the next house
would be. We had reliable informa-
ton from members of both houses
that it was the wish of the men who
kdrew up the amendment that South
Florida would have five and Central
Florida one of the six new senator's.
There is no place in north or west
Florida to put new senator. There
is ample room in South Florida for
at least five. The language of the
proposed amendment is strictly legal.
The people who put up the argument
that it is the intention of North and
West Florida to take all or q ma
| jority Or even any of the new sena-
tors are rankly prejudiced OR deliber-
ately deceitful. Those who say the
senate may reduce the number of SEN
ators are, to make the mildest state
ment possible, too stupid to debate
with. The senator from the Herald's
district and the representatives from
Date and other counties of the dis
trict, who knew a great deal more
about legislative sentiment than the
Herald does, evidently did not SHARE
the Herald's opinion-or rather what
it says is its opinion.
The Star exchanges with every
daily paper in South Florida but two
and with the leading weeklies, and has
studied them, we daresay, as closely
as has the Herald. The Herald and
some others want to divide the state
Nearly all the others are against the
amendment, and have given their
readers very little of the argument in
its favor.
GAS we look back over the history
of the Florida legislature for the pas,
thirty years." as the Herald says, and
we can look further back than that
and South Florida continues to senG
Ito the legislature such NUTS as have
been the majority of those she sent
in the past, the control of the state
will rightfully stay with North anc
West Florida There are now signs
of an awakening, but the sleep pre-
ceding it has been dense. Marion has
been as blind to her interests as any
Io+boy~ county