The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-06-23
MR.. CATS AND
THE PLATFORM.

pose 10 promote tne lHleIeSLS VI
a foreign power in disregard of
our own countrys welfare, or to
iniure this government in its for
eign relations, or to cripple or
destroy it's industries at home,
AND WHOEVER BY ARGUS
ING PREJUDICES OF A RA-
CIAL, RELIGIOUS OR OTHER
NATURE CREATES DISCORD
AND STRIFE AMONG OUR
PEOPLE so AS TO OBSTRUCT
THE WHOLESOME PROCESS
= OF UNIFICATION, is faith
less to the trust which the privi-
leges of citizenship repose in
him and disloyal to his country"
Mr.. Cats won his nomination by
arousing prejudices of religious ma
ture, and of the kind that "creates
discord and strife among our people
so as to obstruct the wholesome pro-
cess of unifcation."
The only excuse Mr.. Cats can
plead in palliation of his campaign
methods is that he practiced them be-
fore the platform was erected, there
fore he violated no written lew. But
what about his violation of the very
principles which underly democracy?
And how about the threats of the
Cattsistas that Woodrow Wilson is
persona non grata for the reason that
his private secretary yields spiritual
obedience to a foreign bishop,
whom he (thc secretary believes to
be tie vicegerent Of Christ on earth?
Fellow democrats. Cats IS the
party nominee. He secured his nom-
nation in the regular way from men
Who were registered as democrats
and accepted as such. His campaign
methods, while disgustiNgly objec-
tionabe to TIE great majority of
Florida democrats, were open. There
was no chance for deception. We
played the game with him and he
won? He is cur candidate. True,
he constitutes a bitter dose for lib
cral-minded democrat to swallow, but
We cen 90 it and look pleasant during
the swallowing. We know we can
because we have taken cathartics be-
fore when we were sick at the tummy.
Let US then look pleasant. Let the
smile reappear on the face of the
tiger.
More than $4,000 citizens of Flori-
da who were qualified as democrats
made possible this nomination. IT.
don't do to say that these $4,000 were
not democrats, though as matter If
fact many of them were not. But
they were accepted as such; their
names were written thereon the
registration books, and they had made
oath that they were such. That set
ties it; you can't go behind the re-
turns and count them out. It's too
late. These men voted for Cats and
in so doing have nearly upset dem
ocracy in Florida. But it is only
near-upsetting. We are still IN the
ring and only slightly disfgured.
The king can do no wrong;" neith-
err can Cats. His powers are defined
and circumscribed. They do not give
him authority to burn nunneries or
blow up the yachts of the shell fish
commission. He can only shoot off
his mouth. ct him shoot
The words of wise mans mouth
are gracious; but the lips of a fool
will swallow up himself. The be-
ginning of the words Of his mouth is
foolishness; and the end of his talk is
mischievous Observation-Disclosures,
y; 1918.
1t were better, a thousand times bet
ter that we should have an Alabama
Cats on deck in the name of DEM
ocracy. than that mongrel republican
ism should again sit enthroned at Tai
lahassee-even for a season.
But there is danger. Old politi-
clans of the county, men who keep
their ears to the ground and are in
touch with public sentiment, say that
there is danger of Putnam county 60.
ing republican. They say that more
than hundred prominent democrats
have already said they would not vote
on governor in the general election
Others point to Hon. Geo. W. Allen of
KEY West. a conservative business
man and a gentleman whose only po-
litical fault IS that he is a protec-
ZIONIST and a republican, and say open
" hat they are going to vote for him.
They say that if Cats and his cohorts