The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-14
COULD NOT SLEEP AIT NIGHT

III tu lHlSHSely QIdilIdllC fldInST, WllH voice that quivered with emotion, MT. Catts told the story of how he reached his decision. For weeks before I an- nounced, I could not sleep at night" he said. T felt a call that I was trying to resist. I firmly believe, and was finally convinced that I was called of God to make that race And after I got inIo the fight I was more and more convinced of the truth of my vision.
 'I had less than $200 in the world. spent all of that in the first few days putting announcements of my candidacy l in the newspapers. Every paper in the state, except one very small one, fought me hard. They ridiculed me. They called me a blatherskite and crook. They printed stories in all solemnity to the ef- feet that I was insane and had been in an insane hospital several times. The most vicious lies of which it is possible to conceive were printed about me and told over the state
 But 1 kept writing insurance and talk ing to the people. stuck to the country and made speeches at night. The other candidates stuck to the cities I covered the state from end to end. When I ran entirely out of money I would take up collection to get enough to go to the next county. Knott my leading opponent rad a fund of about $100,00O I never had more than a few dollars at any time during my campaign until toward the close.
 TRIED TO ARREST HIM
 'In some of the places where the Cath olics controlled the city government, they would warn me not to mention that sub ject or l would be carried to jail. They tried to arrest me many times and |. zen had men who attempted to kill me- But whenever l spoke in the towns hundreds or people would come in from the sur- rounding country. They were for me, and when the officials would attempt to stop me, these friends would force them to let me alone. At some places I would speak with both hands on big pistols which were loaded in every chamber.
 At some places I would have to show them to men in the audience and tell them 1 that I would not hesitate to use them, ! before they would let me alone At Lake land policeman who tried to arrest me | was almost choked to death before I could make some of the crowd turn him loose. But the people of Florida began to see ! that they were engaged in a death strug- gle for their freedom of speech for relig- ious liberty and for the preservation ot i American institutions. I began to receive more support. Friends finally raised sSOoo for me to close the campaign on and they purchased an automobile so I could get about faster.
 ELECTED IN FIRST PRIMARY ! I'm the first primary l was elected oy nearly 60O0 votes, but by means of re- counts and stuffing of ballot boxes, they finally cut that down to plurality for me of about 250 Even then they were not willing for me to have the nomi- nation and the courts took it away from me- And then got busy. I had the dope on them about stealing my votes. I knew who had done it. I knew how many they had taken in all the boxes that were tempered with and I proceeded to tell the people about it.
 'I told the story with a power and g force l have never had before in my life. I felt as if God was on my side aud that he was giving me eloquence and ability so that I might win that race. In spite of the fact that I ran as an rl- i dependent, I defeated the machine can ! didate and the nominee of the party-by 1 virtue of their crooked work-in the gen- eral election by over 93o0 votes. In that last campaign let up .holer' that was heard throughout the state.
 And after I was elected a wonderful ' change came over many of the people of the state. They had usually called me Old Catts. Blatherskite Catts and Hell