The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1916-08-17
A Mutual Surprise

4 The esteemed Tampa Tribune,
in its Sunday issue, says that 1.-THE
course of The Punta Gorda Her
aid in the matter of the Knott
Cats contest is a great surprise
to The Tribune. =" This was in an
swer to The Herald remark
that the course of The Tribune is
a great surprise to The Herald.
The formers surprise arises from
the fact that The Herald stated
that "The Tribune is the only
great newspaper that has joined
in the outrageous fight against W.
V. Knott. ="
And The Tribune asks, "Why
outrageous? Is it outrageous to
support the Democratic nominee
for GOVERNOR" To which The
Herald answers, not at all; but
who is the nominee for governorY
That question is in dispute and
The Herald is waiting for it to be
decided by the only competent au-
thority, the courts of Florida
Meanwhile, what is The Tribune
doing? Not waiting as The Her
aid is for a decision from compe-
tent authority, but attacking the
integrity of a man whom both
The Tribune and The Herald has
known for over thirty years and
recognized as a patriot, a gentle
man of honor, a man who would
not stoop to fraud or any ques-
tionable methods to gain the high
est position in the United States.
In supporting Mr.. Cats as the
Democratic nominee or even as
an independent, The Tribune is
not doing anything outrageous,
except as regards Democratic
principles and law, but when it re-
fleets, as it has been doing, both
editorially and by numerous clip
pings from boiling newspapers of
populistie principles, upon the
personal honor and political integ-
rity of VIM. V. Knott, it has GER
tainly coined in an outrageous
fight" as The Herald charged.
Now here is a simple way of
putting it: Both The Tribune and
The Herald have known VIM. V.
Knott for over thirty years; both |
know him to be a man of unim-
peachable honor; neither has ever
had reason to even suspect him of |
the slightest deviation from the
path of personal or political rec
titude But up comes a lot of
populists and political monde
scripts and make all manner of
charges of rascality against this
man whom The Tribune and The
Herald have known and recogniz-
ed for over thirty years as man
of honor and an upright Christian
gentleman. The Tribune joins in
the hue and cry against him, a
course which The Herald thinks
is Outrageous"
And The Herald is not only
but really grieved at
the course Of The Tribune, be-
cause it regards and has regarded
Editors Stovall and LGmbright as
the faireSt as well as the
brightest journalists of Florida.
1t is a surprise that men of such
high character, such discernment
and brilliance of intellect, such
loyalty to personal friendship and
to true democracy, such respect
for law and justice as exemplified
by the courts, should abandon the
high stand in these matters that
they have for years taken and do
all that they can to wreck not only
the political fortunes, but even the
personal reputation for probity of |
a man whom they have known for
years to be one of the most honor
able citizens of Florida,
The Herald sincerely hopes that
its splendid friends on the Tribune
staff will give heed to the appeal
of their excellent friend of the O.
Gala Banner, accept the decisions
of the courts and come out of the
camp of populists, independents
and disruptionists.