The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-09-01
Cats HOLDS GRAND
RALLY TUESDAY NIGHT
At Court HouSe-Standing
Room Only-Usual
Diatribe.

Rev. Sidney j. Cats, candidate tor
governor Of J. orida. spoke at the
toult house i'll this city last tuesday
night to an a. Clence which till.d every
avallable seat. Others stood ..lts!de
tne entrance CoOrs peering throagn.
There were nearly 800 people present,
many being ladies.
The meeting had been announced for
several days and was we'll known. Of
course many Of those present were
avoWed Cats men, while others were
prompted to attend through curiosity
and to see and hear the man who is
just now attracting public attention,
1t would be hard to tell Just the pro-
portion, but The News will be liberal
and credit tWo-thirds of those present
to the former list.
Mr.. Cats himself tried to find out
how the crowd stood, but failed; he
wanted those who were for him in the
primary and who intended to support
him in the general election to hold up
their hands. Very many hands went
up; then he wanted those who intend
ed to support Knott in the general
election to stand up. Of course but
few stood. People will not be able to
make up their minds whom they are
going to support in the general elec-
tion-at least DEMOCRATS are not
until the Supreme Court of the
State, after the evidence is all in, has
decided TO WHOM THE DEMO-
CRATIC VOTERS GAVE THE NOM
NATION. If it is given to Cats,
they will support Cats; if to Knott,
then they (the democrats) will sup
por Knott.
But the meeting.
Rev. S. Grady of the Palatka Meth
odist church acted as chairman of the
meeting. He first introduced Rev.
Mr.. Blizzarde of Leesburg, who
vouched for Mr.. Cats, and who testi-
fled to the esteem in which he is held
by the people among whom he lived
in Alabama.
Then came the orator of the even
ing. The editor of The News was
not present and therefore cannot give
an outline of the address except
through second hand. Our repre-
sentative was not reporter, but he
vouches for the statement that Mr..
Cats address abounded in charges of
fraud that can not be sustained, and
was notably harrangue made up of
reckless political statements calculat-
ed to play upon the prejudices of the
people.
One quotation from the morning
papers report of the address is given
as an example.
Touching upon the argument that
the courts were supreme, he denied
this, pointing out that the courts
power was by the will of the people
and that it is they, the sovereign peo-
pie of Florida, who are the masters
Suppose we grant that this is in a
measure true; it does not mean that
the mob may be masters; it means
that the people by constitutional, or
derby procedure, speaking through an
election, may change the personnel of
the court; it does not mean that the
mob, styling itself the people, is to be
the master and defy the edict of the
courts, as Mr.. Cats says he will do.
But what is the use; no one can re-
view ~ address he did not hear. The
News speaks of this one paragraph
taken from a contemporary publica-
TONS report of the meeting, and of
the appeal for an expression as to
The sentiment of the voters of the
meeting by show of hands, because
they seem to be well authenticated
facts.
The Palatka News will support Sid
ney J. Cats only in the event he is
declared by the Supreme Court of
Florida to be the democratic nominee.
1t is willing to go on record now that
it believes in the integrity of the
courts; it has every reason for disbe-
jieving in the integrity of Mr. Cats.
Mr.. Cats speech was generously
applauGed at many points.