The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-01-12
GCODE GUERRY ON THE CATS
INAUGURAL

Governor Cats inaugural address,
although inviting, escaped criticism,
for the reason, perhaps. it was feared
that it would be said that the criticism
was inspired by malice and was mere
~ the effusion of a "sore-head.' con
tIolled solely by prejudice and intol-
erance
The only unfavorable criticism that
il has received was discovered by the
Orlando Reporter-Star. 1t is from
the pen of Mr.. Goode Query, who for
a time quit his position on the Tampa
Tribune to become Mr.. acts cam
paign manager. and was placed at the
head of his literary bureau.
The following is Goode Guerry's
criticism of Governor Cats inaugural
appearing in a recent issue of the
Leesburg Commercial:
I'VE take no stock in the miasmic
rumors born in the heat Of a political
campaign and We accept none Of
these as the truth about the present
governor. but when his own utteranc-
es in his FIRST Official address, bear
the faint Of that political hatred IN
quenched, which he displayed during
his campaign. and when he disposes
OF one OF the great issues on which
h made his race prohibition with
the shortest paragraph in his entire
inaugural address. and when this par,
agraph is entirely meaningless. purg-
ed Of any sting it might have tol
those who are ~ngaged in the liquor
traffic. and truant to the promise OF
war against rum selling, We can but
call to mind the story that comes from
Jacksonville and from Tampa and
from Pensacola, that the liquor inter
ests financed Sidney j. Cats cam
paign
Here is what Mr.. Cats said about
the prohibition issue in Florida:
EAnOliItl pi tlAdb " III SO4itC
I'D for solution upon the initiative of
The house and senate. will be the mat
ter of prohibition This is question
which. like Banquos ghost. will not
down until it shall be finally settled
for what is best to the greatest mass
es of mankind The whiskey men OF
the state all feel that it is a question
which will ultimately go against them
not only in Florida, but in the nation.
Not a word against the traffic. Not
a word for the party which placed
him on the ticket. Not word to in
dictate that he will lead the fight which
he waged in his campaigning.
There might be some reason for
his avoidance, in his inaugural ad-
dress, of a discussion of this question
if he had avoided all other partisan
matters. But his very opening word
is one of denunciatiOn. of glOating. of
recrimination and of self praise. His
second paragraph is a denunciation
of our courts and a reminded that
the sovereign will of the cracker, as
he himself puts it, has triumphed over
all else. even the constituted authori-
ties of the state. His second para
graph begins:
Y our triumph is no less in this
good hour in beautiful Florida. for you
have withstOod the onslaughts of the
county and state political rings. the
vast corporations. and the railroads.
the fierce opposition OF the daily and
weekly press. and organization OF the
negro voters of the state against you
the judiciary of the state partisan TO
your needs. and the power of the 70
man Catholic hierarchy against you
MIR. Cats is under a peculiar OBJ
ligataion to the people who elected
him. He is obligated not only for the
votes they cast for him, but for the
finances, or large portion of it,
which the people contributed to his
campaign, and the people are entitled
to fulfllment of the pledges made
before the primary and before the
general election, and not dependent
on those made from the capitol steps
when the great seal of the sovereign
state had been placed in his hands"