The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-08
MR.. BITCH DEFENDS
MIR. CATS SOME MORE

Editor Star: appreciate no lit
tie your courtesy in throwing open
your columns to me and while | am
too much engrossed in other affairs to
take up much of your space shall
occasionally avail myself of same.
Mr.. Cats has not appointed me his
champion; so far as | know he knows
nothing of these articles, but when
Mr.. Cats received the certificate of
nomination | as democrat voluntar-
lily became his champion.
| conceded to Mr.. Knott the right
to make the contest, but doubted the
wisdom of it, not only on his account
personally but on account of the
party and developments have proven
to me at least that it was the mistake
of his life and that he has rapidly
drifted from probably one of the most
loved men in the state to one of the
least loved among our prominent
men.
In making this statement do not
wish to be understood as throwing
off on Mr.. Knott, as / am friend to
him and associated with him in a
number of organizations, but Mr..
Knott has let his over jealous friends
put him in an attitude that he can
well and truthfully say Lord, deliver
me from my friends.
When Mr.. Knott's attorneys at
Gainesville succeeded in having the
vote for governor thrown out of an
Alachua Cats precinct on techni-
cality and counted other precincts
when the same technicality prevailed,
because they were for Mr.. Knott, I
Immediately wrote Mr.. Knott and
asked him to come out in the press
and repudiate such methods, but to
this day Mr.. Knott has not answered
that letter and | therefore understood
that he approved such work and in
my judgment that affair alienated
many hundred of his friends.
I have tried hard, Mr.. Editor, to
draw you out on this Alachua county
affair and the recounts in Madison,
Suwanee and Hamilton counties, but
just before you get to these subjects
you sidestep and say something
about Mr.. Cats remarks about high
school girl graduates or marching
through Florida to the capitol or
puncturing my remarks about black
eyes. This is only scratching the
surface. You are in position to and
fully capable of cracking the cocoa
nut and pouring out the milk to your
readers.
Tell US why on many of the Green
vile ballots the first choice was
marked in lead pencil and second
choice was marked in copying pencil
and whether or not you believe that
when all three inspectors and clerk
made affidavit that the ballots had
been tampered with if you believe it
and whether when these inspectors
tally Mr.. Cats IA first choice votes
in the first count and the recount
under instructions of the court only
showed little over half of those and
then IA men come forward and make
affidavit that they voted for Mr.. Cats
first choice if you believe that and il
you do believe it do you approve OF
such work.
Mr.. Editor, when Mr.. Cats comes
forward asking that some three hun
dred votes actually cast and counted
for him but for various reasons have
not been certified to the state can
vassing board be certified and when
this is done and the recount In those
counties where the ballots have beer
tampered with is thrown out and this
leaves Mr.. Cats still the nominee
will you come out like the good dem.
ocrat you are and put your shoulder
to the wheel and help to elect hin
governor? My prediction is that this
will be the case and everything
points to this and am trying to give
you warning so you will be ready fol
the golden jubilee" ]. S. Bitch.