The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-04-21
Amos PinchOt Declares That
As a Sportsman He Is APP
palled att Developments
Shown in the Tabert Case
in Florida

An appeal to Floridans to look be-
yond the whipping bosses in their
efforts to fix responsibility for con-
ditions revealed in the case of Mar
tin Tabcrt, North Dakota boy who
died in Florida convict camp, is
made to prominent club women Of
Florida by Amos Pinchot. New York
lawyer and brother Of the Governor
of Pennsylvania.
A copy Of the appeal of Mr.. Pin
chot, directed to Miss Elizabeth Skin
ncr, state president Of the Florida
Federation of Womens clubs; Mrs.
w. S. Jennings, vice president of the
National Federation of WOmcn's
clubs, Mrs. Robert Morris Seymour,
chairman Of the committee on APP
piled education Of the Legislative COM
mittee OF women's clubs and others,
was received here today.
"If the people Of Florida want to
find out who is actually responsible
for young Tabert's death and for
the degradation and breaking OF
thousands of helpless men and boys
in pconage and state camps, they
should obviously look over the heads
of the Higginbothams, wrote Mr..
Pinchot. "Tfey should single out
the men who put the peonage laws
and regulations on the statute books,
and especially they should drag to
the bar Of public opinion, and if the
facts warrant, of justice, the legisla-
tors and officials who have not acted
to repeal these laws and regulations
because. while they listened to the
voices of the turpentine and lumber
companies, they, at the same time,
remained blind and deaf 20 the drama
enacted in the forests, swamps and
stockades."
Makes Way Easier.
The days mail to the Governors
office here also brought from r. j.
Caldwell, Broadway and Park avenue,
New York. letter expressing APP
proval to Governor Nestos for North
Dakota's action in the Tabert case
and saying at would have been much
more difficult to correct the evil in
any other way than the way North
Dakota did it. and I believe everyone
owes you debt Of gratitude which
they should take pains to express"
Mr.. Pinchot, in his lengthy COM
munication, appealed to Floridans,
as sportsman.
my reason for writing you is
perhaps a peculiar one," he began
his letter. 1T is, that for years back,
during vacations, have visited Flor
ida as sportsman and spent with
my son, who was at school there,
many happy days in what seemed to
be perhaps the most beautiful part
of America, l take a personal inter-
est in Florida and feel for the state
a strong affection. Therefore, t.
me, as to many. other northern
sportsmen with whom I have talked.
the disclosures Of the Florida peor-
age camps have come with an ugly
shock. For all Florida sportsmen,
l think the peonage disclosures have
the skies and darkened the
waters of their old hupting and fish
ing grounds.
II think I may say to you with
confidence that northern sportsmen
hope that the people "f
Florida will see the usefulness, in
deed the injustice of blaming the
m rders and beastial floggings,
which have put .your state on trial
before American public opinion, on
men like Higginbotham alone. We
hope Florida will not rest content
with the conviction and punishment
IF such men, but will look behind
hem 10 those who are more really
For neither Higgin-
,otham. the whipping boss, nor the
amp guards who stood by, day after
lay, watching young Tabert's flog-
rings (the camp guards who, as the
John T. Gardner, says, were
often, most Of the young
nen Of the district taking a part in
'erving), are actually the guilty par
les. They are merely the instru-
aents through which the guilty par
les committed the atrocities, the
ogical products, the first monstrous
Continued on page three)