The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-09-08
I. !. /. i !. !. j. + !. + J. I. i. /. j. i i.
+ AN OPEN LETTER TO +
) MIR. H. F. URIE. l.
&. j.
+ + + + j. j. !. i. j. : :. !. i. j. j. j. 1.
My dear Mr.. Urie:-

| My dear Mr.. Urle:-
In recent communication to To-
cal paper you have had at least part
of your say concerning what you are
pleased to term "this undemocratic
contest of Mr.. Knott" and in which
you saw fit to characterize me as one
of the democratic editors who would
abolish the primary and go back to
the old convention system of nomina-
ting candidates, as well as by impli-
cation to charge that l am also one
of the editors who "stand close to the
big corporations of our State who are
trying to wreck the primary"
You are comparatively new COM
er to Putnam county, Mr.. Uric, and
therefore can be excused for not be-
ing familiar with certain facts re-
garding local political history.
But you have been taking yourself
seriously and l am disposed to hu-
NOR you to the extent of writing Sc
riously to you in reply. Not, mind
you, in the hope of changing your
views, for if | am any judge of men
your mind is so filled with prejudice
that any attempt to change it into
normal channels of thought would be
like sowing to the wind-with pos
sibility of reaping a whirlWind of
words. | think l would like you as
a man, but | never would turn to you
for advice as statesman, or man
versed in political economy, or one
grounded in the fundamentals of
democratic form of government like
ours.
Here are some facts:
There is but one editor in this
state who has openly advocated the
abolition of the primary. He has
been both a republican editor and a
democratic editor in Florida. At
least he has supported republican can
didates and democratic candidates,
and is now supporting Mr.. Cats. We
refer to the Florida Metropolis pub
lished in Jacksonville, and whose edi-
tor is Mr.. W. R. Carter.
The Palatka News has within the
week or two called editorial attention
to the fact that Carters denunciation
Of the primary has been met with
universal derision on the part of the
other editors of Florida.
The Primary was adopted by the
democracy of Florida in 1900, the
year of the last State Democratic
Convention. | was member of that
convention and was also member
of the Committee on Platform and
Resolutions which met in the old
Jacksonville board of trade rooms and
drafted the platform and original pri
mary system. | have always advo
Gated the primary, and regard any at
tempts now being made to upset it as
puerile. The primary system may
not be perfect, but as a system for
making party nominations it has come
to stay. The power has been placed
in the hands of the people where it
of right belongs, and once such pow
er has been given 1T CANNOT BE
WITHDRAWN. | am proud of the
work | had, both in securing the adop-
ton of the original primary system
by the democracy of Florida, and of
the place | was subsequently to have
in helping to enact that system into
the law of the State.
The present law is cumbersome, but
at the time of it's enactment it was
considered great Improvement over
the old two primary system, as well
as a great saving in expense to the
State. The present law is a modltl-
cation of Senator Lafollettes draft
and is said to b e in use in his own
state of Wisconsin as well as in many
other States. If there is change,
| hope to the law so simpli-
fed that wayfaring man, though de
fcient mentally, need not err in mark |
ing his ballot or in counting and tab
ulatig it.
The Palatka News has never been
lined up with corporations, but has al
WAYS been classed as among the pro-
gressive papers Of Florida's democ-
racv-has been identified with that
wing of the party Perhaps that is
whv it now comes to the defense of
our high courts, whose integrity you
have assailed. Heretofore the high
courts have never been assalled en-
cept by anarchists. 1t is a branch
of constitutional government which
has. with a few possible exceptions,
stood as a hulwafk against injustice
and oppression of the people. To as
sail the integrity of our courts would
not be progress. 1t would be a step
backward, toward anarchy, and am
one Florida editor who is not prepared
to take it. Rather I stand for the
rule of the people under the constitu-
ton and law as interpreted by our
high courts of justice. And get my
of democracy from such
patriots as Thomas Jefferson and AL
exander II. Stevens and Grover Cleve-
land and William Jennings Bryan and
Woodrow Wilson and not from Tom
Watson and Nelson A. Miles and Sid.
nev ]. Cats.
l entered the late primary with an
open mind in so far as the candidates
for governor were concerned. The
first candidate I heard for that high
office was Sidney J. Cats, in his ini-
tial address in Palatka. That address
was so filled with half-truths, misrep-
rescntations ard false democratic doc
trinc that | did not take long in elm
mating him from my list of availa
bles.
In this speech Mr.. Cats played up
on the preiudices of his hearers and
was absolutely untruthful in many of
his charges.
Tbo, orroip Mr. Co+ts yvoc 1ndap1o