The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-11-10
CAN'T HOLD CATS
His Friends Unable to Prevent the
Governor from Making an I'm
seemly Exhibition of Himself

seemly Exhibition of Himself
The cooler-headed friends of the
governor, who have been trying. with
fair success to hold him down the
past few weeks have temporarily lost
their grip if the following dispatch to
the Pensacola Journal is true:
Montgomery, Ala, Nov. 8.-Flor-
ida may be put under martial law
and the heads of certain judges in the
state may be amputated, according
to Governor Cats in an interview
given outl in Montgomery Tuesday
while en- route to Louisville, where
he is to address the Purity League
next Sunday.
"I expect Secretary of the Navy
Daniels to declare martial law in
Florida" declared Governor Cats,
principally on account of the rotten
conditions in Escambia county. The
fight is still on between the prohibi-
tionists and the antis, who have
fought me ever since / announced for
governor, but we will win out yet. /
will keep fighting until liquor is
swept out of Florida.
"I have written a letter to Secre-
tary Daniels and fully described the
conditions to him, especially the con-
ditions to be found in those cities
where naval bases have been estab-
lished, and / look for the secretary
of the navy to take some drastic
action in the matter.
"I told Secretary Daniels in my
letter that, through q recent decisions
of Judge Moreno Jones, of Escambia
county, the sale of liquor is recogniz-
ed in that county and the whole state
will be opened to the sale of the bev-
erage if such decisions are allowed
to stand.
Service clubs" said the governor,
cor blind tigers, if you choose to call
them, that were tabooed in Florida by
the laws which ran liquor out. JUS
tices ruled that the sale of liquor by
individuals was against the law un-
til the Judge of Escambia county
ruled otherwise, and thereby opened
the way for any restaurant or soda
fountain under his jurisdiction to
serve whisky, beer and wine.
Would Remove Jones
"The case has been appealed to the
supreme court If the court reserves
the decision of Judge Jones, viii
remove him from Office. If it affirms,
| will remove him anyway.
81 would no more hesitate to re-
move him." declared the fighting gov
ernor, "than would hesitate to re-
move Guinea negro"
Moral conditions surrounding the
camp at Jacksonville, according to
Governor Cats, are excellent at this
time, though few weeks ago Florida
stood a good chance to lose the camp.
"How about the report that 10000
troops would be removed from Jack
sonville to Montgomery because OF
a1nfavorable moral conditions?" hS
was asked.
"That viii not be necessary now
he said, "but it stood good chance Of
Happening if we hadn't cleaned things
up. Six weeks ago we went after
'em. One hundred and sixty-fve i'm
moral women were rounded up in one
day at Jacksonville and forced to
leave town The sale of liquor was
stopped. Conditions since that time
have been all right, but they won't
be if judgments like that of the
county judge of Escambia are sup
ported"
In the same issue the Journal has
/ this editorial:
The Climax
What is perhaps the most remark
able interview ever published in any
newspaper from the governor of any
state finds the light in the news col
umns of the Journal this morning.
Governor Cats announces thai
martial law is imminent in his state.
Martian law presupposes condi-
tion and lawlessness which the regu-
lar constituted authorities are pow.
erless to suppress.
Think it over!
He announces, furthermore, thai
whether right or wrong, he viii re
move Judge Jones from Office.
Think over that, too!
We begrudge the notoriety, the