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Sidney Johnston Catts
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Sidney Johnston Catts
Sidney Johnston Catts (July 31, 1863 – March 9, 1936) was an American politician, businessman, and anti-Catholic activist. He served as the 22nd governor of Florida from 1917 to 1921 as a member of the Prohibition Party, despite being a Democrat for most of his career. He became involved in criminal procedures due to his activities as governor and for business activities. Although he was later acquitted, he went bankrupt in the process.
Sidney Johnston Catts was born on his father's plantation in Pleasant Hill, Alabama on July 31, 1863, to Adeline Rebecca Smyly and Samuel W. Catts, a Confederate captain, and was named after Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. In 1866, his nurse accidentally stabbed one of his eyes with a pair of scissors while cutting pictures causing him to lose sight in it.
He earned a law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University in 1882. In 1885, he was ordained as a pastor and worked in Alabama until 1910, when he moved to Florida. He later became an insurance salesman and then a teacher. In November 1886, he married Alice May Campbell, a relative of Lord Colin Campbell.
In March 1904, Catts announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination against James Thomas Heflin to represent Alabama's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. During the campaign Catts gave $250 to another politician to canvass a county, but that politician later placed a bet using the money that Heflin would win. Heflin defeated Catts in the primary and following his defeat Catts endorsed Heflin.
On April 7, 1930, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination in Florida's 3rd congressional district, but was defeated by incumbent Representative Tom Yon in the Democratic primary.
In 1914, Catts announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida. Catts was the first political candidate to campaign using an automobile in Florida (a Ford Model T). This gave him an advantage by enabling him to visit areas in the state that were isolated and avoided by other candidates who preferred to campaign in towns that were close to or on railroads. For many in the state, it would have been the first time they had seen a car.[citation needed] He competed against William V. Knott who called for "economy in government," equalizing tax laws, making pensions for Civil War veterans bigger and improving roads. Catts mounted a loudspeaker to his car as well. He claimed that a group of Catholics in Apalachicola were planning to assassinate him and that he needed firearms handy as a result.
Catts contested the Democratic Party's primary that was held on June 6, 1916. The Bryan Primary law required that voting provided for a first and second choice ballot in the case of a runoff. Many voters didn't understand the procedure and ended up casting only first choice ballots. Some of the election officials would insist later on that voters were not aware the second choice votes were supposed to be counted as well. Both Catts and Knott accused each other of voter fraud. When all ballots were counted it was announced that Catts received 33,429 votes to Knott's 33,169. Knott went to court and demanded a recount, while Catts asserted that he would run in the general election no matter what the courts decided. The Florida Supreme Court ruled on August 9 that Knott had won the primary by 21 votes. In response, on October 10 Catts sought the nomination of the Prohibition Party, which held a convention in late June and nominated him for governor.
After the primary, he took 7 trips across the state between June and November. During this time most of his messaging from prior to the primaries remained the same; however, he additionally attacked the Catholic church claiming that they had provided funds that were used for the recount.
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Sidney Johnston Catts
Sidney Johnston Catts (July 31, 1863 – March 9, 1936) was an American politician, businessman, and anti-Catholic activist. He served as the 22nd governor of Florida from 1917 to 1921 as a member of the Prohibition Party, despite being a Democrat for most of his career. He became involved in criminal procedures due to his activities as governor and for business activities. Although he was later acquitted, he went bankrupt in the process.
Sidney Johnston Catts was born on his father's plantation in Pleasant Hill, Alabama on July 31, 1863, to Adeline Rebecca Smyly and Samuel W. Catts, a Confederate captain, and was named after Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. In 1866, his nurse accidentally stabbed one of his eyes with a pair of scissors while cutting pictures causing him to lose sight in it.
He earned a law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University in 1882. In 1885, he was ordained as a pastor and worked in Alabama until 1910, when he moved to Florida. He later became an insurance salesman and then a teacher. In November 1886, he married Alice May Campbell, a relative of Lord Colin Campbell.
In March 1904, Catts announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination against James Thomas Heflin to represent Alabama's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. During the campaign Catts gave $250 to another politician to canvass a county, but that politician later placed a bet using the money that Heflin would win. Heflin defeated Catts in the primary and following his defeat Catts endorsed Heflin.
On April 7, 1930, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination in Florida's 3rd congressional district, but was defeated by incumbent Representative Tom Yon in the Democratic primary.
In 1914, Catts announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida. Catts was the first political candidate to campaign using an automobile in Florida (a Ford Model T). This gave him an advantage by enabling him to visit areas in the state that were isolated and avoided by other candidates who preferred to campaign in towns that were close to or on railroads. For many in the state, it would have been the first time they had seen a car.[citation needed] He competed against William V. Knott who called for "economy in government," equalizing tax laws, making pensions for Civil War veterans bigger and improving roads. Catts mounted a loudspeaker to his car as well. He claimed that a group of Catholics in Apalachicola were planning to assassinate him and that he needed firearms handy as a result.
Catts contested the Democratic Party's primary that was held on June 6, 1916. The Bryan Primary law required that voting provided for a first and second choice ballot in the case of a runoff. Many voters didn't understand the procedure and ended up casting only first choice ballots. Some of the election officials would insist later on that voters were not aware the second choice votes were supposed to be counted as well. Both Catts and Knott accused each other of voter fraud. When all ballots were counted it was announced that Catts received 33,429 votes to Knott's 33,169. Knott went to court and demanded a recount, while Catts asserted that he would run in the general election no matter what the courts decided. The Florida Supreme Court ruled on August 9 that Knott had won the primary by 21 votes. In response, on October 10 Catts sought the nomination of the Prohibition Party, which held a convention in late June and nominated him for governor.
After the primary, he took 7 trips across the state between June and November. During this time most of his messaging from prior to the primaries remained the same; however, he additionally attacked the Catholic church claiming that they had provided funds that were used for the recount.
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