The Irish standard., 1916-06-17
GOVERNOR ISSUES
A Statement
Governor Park Trammell Defends Re.
cent Action In Ordering Arrest Of
Catholic Nuns.
Claims He Is Only Doing His Duty
In Upholding State Laws-Admits
Sheriff Acted on His instructions.

The following political dOdger has
been sent broadcast over the State Of
Florida by Gov. Park Trammell apro.
pos of The Morning Stars recent COM
ments on his outrageous action in ar.
resting the Sisters of St. Joseph for
teaching colored children to read and
write. The dodger. printed with far
ing headlines. reads as follows:
Should q Governor be condemned
because he stops white teachers from
teaching negro schools in Florida?
1--WE have law in this state that I
approved as Governor which provides
that no white teacher shall teach q
negro school and that no negro shall
teach white school. l believe this
a good law because do not think we
should encourage anything which
would tend to make the negro believe
he is on social equality with the white
people.
I'm March of this year I received
petition In which it was stated a ne
gro school in st. Augustine was being
taught by white teachers. Immediate.
ly upon receiving the petition l for
warded copy of it to the sheriff of
st. Johns County asking him to inves.
tigate the matter and give it attention.
In few days the sheriff reported
back to mo that the Roman Catholic
church was operating school in
which only negroes were taught and
that the school was being taught by
white teachers.
THAT they claimed it was not vic.
latfon Of law. The sheriff asked me
for instructions. l advised him that he
should handle the matter just as he
would any other violation of law, as
the Florida law prohibited white
teachers from teaching in negro
schools. =.
"As those running the school con.
tinued to operate it, the sheriff pro-
cured warrants for them.
Il performed my plain duty in con-
nection with this matter, just the
same as ! would have done in dealing
with any school of similar nature re-
gardless Of the people or the church,
that may have been operating the
same. 1t was q violation of plain law.
! acted as soon as l knew of the school.
do not know of any other school in
the state where white teachers are
teaching a negro school but If l hear
of one 1t will be stopped regardless of
who is involved.
II make public statement regard
ing this matter only for the reason
that l find that The Morning Star,
Catholic paper of New Orleans, claim
ing to be the recognized official or.
gan of the Catholic Church, is con-
demning me in bitter language be-
cause have done my duty; and two
or three Florida papers edited by
Catholics or Catholic sympathizers in
which have been attacked, and
"The Catholic papers of New Or.
leans are being circulated over the
state in an effort to injure me. These
papers are unfair and try to mislead
and deceive the people of Florida.
Il have absolutely no religious
prejudice and want every one to enjoy
their own religion, but want to make
it plain now that so long as the law
stands forbidding white teachers
teaching negro schools l am going to
see to the enforcement of the law. I
will "hew to the line and let the chips
fall where they may.
park TRAMMELL.
Tallahassee, Fla, May 8, 1916"
The above statement from the gov.
ernor has been published in every
newspaper in Florida, and thousands
and thousands printed as political
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