The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-05

demonstration to be made. I know
perfectly well that the courts Of this
state would not have issued the
peremptory writ of mandamus, which
resulted in his success before the
canvassing board, unless Mr.. Knott
was entitled to it.
Was it wrong for him to contest the
apparent results Of election? Demo-
Gratis cannot very well take that posi-
ton. The democratic party came back
into power on November Z, 1876, as a
result of a mandamus suit brought
upon the relation of Governor Drew
to force the canvassing board to de-
clare the true results of that cleo
ton. 1t viii be just forty years to
the day when the democrats of Flor
ida will decide whether it was wrong
| for Mr.. Knott to make this contest
and right for Governor Drew to make
lit.
Attitude of Knott and Cats While
Contests Were Pending.
If the recounts had not given Mr..
Knott the nomination he would not
now be q candidate. Would Mr..
Cats? There are three circumstan-
ces to indicate that he would have
been, regardless of what the facts
might develop.
1. He did not stop campaigning to
i find out whether he was nominated
or not. but contented himself with
declaring that while Mr.. Knott might
be the courts nominee, he would run
on the proposition that he was the
peoples nominee.
2. He secured the nomination of
the Coffin family, who assume to be
the prohibition party in Florida
Il 8. He secured petitions, so as to
get his name on the ballots as an in
dependant candidate.
While doing these things, he was
represented in all the litigation by
counsel, willing to take the nominal
ton If he won, but determined to run
az an independent if he lost. How
does Mr.. Cats justify this conduct?
Upon the ground of fraud? In what
particulars does he claim fraud ex-
listed? He says the ballots had been
tempered with in the first place. and
then he claims that the state execu-
tive committee proceeded to endorse
Mr.. Knott before the litigation had
been finished. Let US see what there
is in these two contentious.
In the first place, if Mr.. Cats
thought fraud existed, why was It
necessary for him to arrange to get
his name upon the ticket, otherwise
than as a democratic nomineeg Mind
YOU, the state canvassing board, un-
douhtedly at his request, answered
setting up fraud and the supreme
court. with great patience and fair
ness sat for days to hear the evidence
of fraud. None was proven that
would in any way affect the results
arrived at. Mr.. Knott himself with
drew any claim to the gains mace on
recounts IN Madison county, because
uanv people believed from newspaper
stories that fraud did exist in that
county. and he did this at time
when Il might have meant the nom
ination to him. because there were
enough votes to which Mr.. Cats was
entitled in Alachua county to over
come the lead Mr.. Knott then had
Rut subsequent corrected returns
long DELAYED, because of technical OBJ
sections raised by Cats himself
more than overbalanced the gam
Cats made in Alachua COUNT.
What point is there in the action
of the state committee in endorsing
Mr.. Knott? Let me narrate the
facts to you. On September 21st,
believe it was, the supreme court
issued its peremptory writ, resulting
in Mr.. Knott's nomination from the
votes recanvassed up to that time.
Immediately the chairman of the
state committee issued call for the
committee to meet on October It'll
The contest had been going on long
enough for it to have been determin-
%. The date of the committee meet
inc was set thirty days before the
election. The certificates of nomina.
ton had to go forth by that day. On
OCTOBER IEu, Lie oSSoAACs W. 49,
Cats was besieging the supreme
court with petitions. The COMMITTEES
endorsed Mr.. Knott, but upon the sug.
gestion of rir. Grady from Franklin
county, it was with the suggestion
that Mr.. Knott remained the nonni
nee. Now, there might be some poinf
about that if Mr.. Cats had won, ant
Mr.. Knott was a bolter contendins
against him, and using the endorse
II ment of the state committee. So WI
arrive at this conclusion: That Mr.
Cats cries Fraud" rot as a reason
| for his candidacy, but as an excusA
for it.
II He has said much about the Ger
tificate he received from the secre
tary of state. He received no certif
icate; If ne had, it would have bee
unauthorized. The only certificat
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