The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-22
R. B. STURKIE STATES
HIS POSITION REGARDING
LETTERS WRITTEN

Dade City, Fla, Aug. 10, 1916.
Editor Lakeland Telegram,
Lakeland, Fla:
Dear Sir: I want the Democrats
of this State to know that the at
tack made by Mr.. Knott upon me is
false, libelous and without founda-
ton in fact. l am not for old Cats
and never will be; have never
spoken civilly to him or to any of
his henchmen. Under no consider
alton could 1 ever lend my aid to one
who has conducted a campaign Of
hate and ignorance, as Cats has
done; then to have one / have trust
ed as l have Mr.. Knott, to come out
and accuse me of such an unholy al
lliance with an itinerant old hypo-
critic, aside from being breach of
professional etiquette of the broad
est nature, is a very painful personal
affront, and more than l can under
stand
have supported Mr.. Knott in sea-
son and out of season, and have pub
Ilicly defended his action in institut-
ing this contest and his whole course
from the commencement of the suits
and expect to continue to support
him until he is declared the nomi-
nee, which l think he will be, re-
gardless of this unwarranted and Ii
belous attack he has made upon me.
In doing SO, am defending the DEM
ocratic party and not Mr.. Knott in
Individually, and would defend any
lone else under the same circum-
stances. There Is no reason why
Mr.. Knott should get so desperate as
to assail true friend, as he has;
it certainly will not gain him any
friends, but on the contrary, he will
lose many friends by this unwar-
iranted attack.
l have faith in the integrity of
our courts and am going to abide by
their decision.
l am forced to submit to the fact
that my correspondence with
Messrs. Knott and Adams was faint
ed with over-enthusiasm in Mr..
Knott's behalf, but | was writing to
/, them unreservedly, as / would to a
friend and client, and did not have
the slightest idea that either of
these gentlemen would violate a
confidence, but | find that l have
been mistaken.
/ have no personal knowledge OF
any votes anywhere being tempered
with. The ballot boxes in this
county are intact.
Mr.. Knott says that I did not re-
ply to Mr.. Adams communication
wherein he requested me to secure
the mandamus. This is absolutely
false. Immediately upon receipt o!
the communication | went before
judge Reaves and secured an alter
native writ and had the same served
upOH JH0 guilty JuuSO anu SupOA
visor of Registration, thus securing
a copy of the tally sheets; these
copies being made by the county
Judge and my stenographer, Mr.. A.
G. Knight, / not being present dur
ing the making of the same,
l want the Democrats to under
stand that l am not lined up with
Cats and have never entered into
tny kind of an agreement or frame
up with him or any of his henchmenr
but, on the contrary, have fought
the principles that he advocates and
will continue to fight these prin-
: ciples until the Democratic party is
purged of such men as Cats and his
henchmen.
Please give this matter all the
publicity possible and make such
comment on it as you shall see fit
as desire to be put in my true light
before the TRUE DEMOCRATS, and
, want the Cattites to know that | dc
not favor them in one single partic-
, ular.
l will thank you to mail me a
copy of the issue containing this
, letter.
!. Very respectfully,