The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-09
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PUBLIC WARNED OF
A SERIOUS SITUATION
Punta Gorda Herald.
y 90 zee NN~AAN I


intend to vote solidly for Rev. Sidney
j. Cats for governor He is the only
candidate who is making an open
fight against the Catholic church, and
it is, therefore, natural that he should
be favored by the organizations men
toned. IF to these we add the coast
fishermen, whose champion Mr.. Cats
has declared himself to be, it will be
seen that he has already acquired
strength that is really formidable.
This brings about serious political
situation, which it would be folly to
Hpooh-pooh.
1t is serious, because the election
of Mr.. Cats as governor of Florida,
if we judge him from his public ut
terances, would be calamity to the
state, in which view the ablest and
most patriotic thinkers agree. It is
serious, because right now the
chances of Mr.. Cats seem better than
those of any one Of his competitors.
Now let US calmly examine the
facts: Two weeks ago Billy PARKER
went to Tampa and opened an anti
Catholic crusade. He stated openly
that, before he came, there were l.
800 members there of a secret anti
Catholic society and, since his COM
ing, 100 more had been added. a.
member Of this society in Punta
Gorda informs the Herald that the
organization in Tampa now has over
5000 members, m Jacksonville over
$500, and that organizations have
been formed in virtually every city
and town of the state, and all are
pledged to vote not only against
Catholics, but against any and all
candidates who are suspected of being
under Catholic influence. From what
this informan said, the inference may
be drawn that this anti Catholic Sc
cret organization has, throughout the
state, nearly, if not quite ten thou
sand members and that they will vote
solidly for Mr.. Cats. To their vote,
it is reasonable to add a thousand
more fishermen. Not only this, but
Mr.. Cats, as is we'll known, is a Bap-
fist minister and, as such, is likely to
get good vote from the forty thou
sand members of that church in Flor
ida.
1t is generally known that the Bap-
fist church, more so perhaps than any
other Protestant church, has long
been actively hostile to the Catholics
and what more natural than that
many of its members should flock to
the standard of the anti Catholic cru
sader, Mr.. Cats. This, notwithstand-
ing the fact that Hon. VIM. v. Knott,
a man of the highest character, one
of Mr.. Cats competitors, has for.
years been a devoted member of the
Baptist church.
In this connection, we will state
that Mr.. Knott has lived in Florida
for over thirty-f1ve years and in that
time has become well known all over
the state as a man of the loftiest
character, calm,. dispassionate citi-
zen who entertains no revolutionary
or anarchistic ideas, who has been
tried and found worthy and compe-
tent in all of the many public offices
in which he has been placed
Whereas, nothing is known of Mr..
Cats, save that he is or has been
pastor of the Baptist church at De-
Funiak Springs and is dangerously
able man. Dangerous, because if
elected, his exercise of the functions
of governor would inevitably disturb
the peace of the state, just as his
speeches and those of Billy Parker
are now doing. He would be worse
than Cole Blease of South Carolina,
for he would disturb not only the
political but the religious peace of
Florida.
What was the record of Mr.. Cats
before he came to Florida? Has any
one ever thought to inquire into it
His competitors ought to do this and
let the people know. 1t is their duty
not only to themselves but to the peo-
pie of Florida.
The fact that Mr.. Cats is a
preacher signifies but little We
have known preachers as well as edi-
tors to go wrong.
Furthermore, this anti Catholic or
ganization appears to be getting
ready to make open war upon the
Democratic party and its candidates
everywhere in the United States. In
one of his speeches in Tampa Billy
Parker declared that "the Democratic
party is rotten" that the national
anti Catholic organization has 5,000,-
900 members and that they will vote
against President Woodrow Wilson
next year because his private secre-
tary and other appointees are Roman
Catholics. Loyal Democrats, there
fore, who have joined this secret po-
litical society, should reserve to
themselves the right to vote for the
nominees of their party.
The foregoing is a plain statement
of the political situation in Florida as
the Herald views it, and it is not in.
tended as an attack or even a refec-
ton upon any organization, religious
or political, secret or public, but sole
1y as a warning to all who have at