Wuuau C. Bases
IDWOI

THE MIAMI NEWS

Hr. Ferris Bryant
State Campaign Headquarters
Ocala, Florida

Dear Mr. Bryant:

By the time you read this, the election returns
shall have come in and either you or Sir. Carlton
will be the Democratic nominee. I have waited
for this mment because I did not want to express
myself in the passions and misunderstandings of
this campaign. The omnibus and bitter criticisms
you made of "the mami mapaoers" were not true
and nut only hope at this point is that you did
not know they were false as you made then.

I can relate only the workings of one newspaper

in this city. The Miami News has attempted to
report these canpaigns as fairly and as accurately
as the human frailty permits. I do not feel any
political writer in Florida has a better reputation
for detached and disinterested reporting than
Charles Hesser. Oar opinions are reserved for

our editorial page. It is a tradition of journa-
lism that opinions are stated on this page.

You sought the endorsement of The Miami News by
appearin; before its Editorial Board. This board
gave you a fair hearing and there was no pre-
judging of any candidate for governor, including

you.

I find your accusations Vulgar. The liens is one
of the most honored _:apers in this country and
this is the result of very fine ladies and gentle-
men entering into Journalism with mint might be
referred to as spiritual instinct. These ladies
and gentlemen, due to the economics of journalism,
are not paid with the material rewards which come

to doctors or lawyers or even press anents.
Their hours are long. There is many a night
and many an early morning when these ladies
and gentlemen do not share the company of
their families because they must run out to
the scene or a sudden news story and report

it so the people may know what happened.

These ladi.s and gentlemen, and their journa-
listic ancestors, at this newspaper have been
at this work since the year of 1896, when both
the city and the newspaper were founded. For
you to come along and try to sully the character
and the purpose of these people and this news-
paper is a wretched deed.

One is reminded of Bacon's observation. "Burl
your calumnies boldly; something is sure to
stick."

I was tempted to reply to your fiction during
the primary. The only reason I did not was

I question such an entry by a newspaper in a
heated political contest and as I put down this
comment into words I find myself wondering if
you understand the tradition which explains SJCh
restraint in American journalism.

A3 I said earlier, the people are voting today
and the people will make their choice and at
this minute neither you nor I know what this
choice will be. But whether you are governor
or a disappointed man, I wanted to make known
these sentiments. I can understand a candidate,
in the rail of a political contest, making a
reckless statement. But I cannot understand

a man seeking to become the governor of Florida
making the warp and woof of his campaign out

Of 811'.

Sincerely,

MM.