Sidney Johnston Catts

Sidney Johnston Catts (born July 31, 1863 in Pleasant Hill , Alabama , † March 9, 1936 in DeFuniak Springs , Florida ) was an American politician and from 1917 to 1921 the 22nd governor of Florida.

Early years and political advancement

Sidney Catts grew up in his home in Alabama and attended local schools there. He then studied law at Cumberland University and was admitted to the bar in 1882. However, he has renounced a legal career. Instead, he became a preacher in a Baptist church. In 1911, Catts moved to Florida. There he gave up his job as a preacher and became an insurance agent. At the same time, he took part in the political events in his new home. He joined the Democratic Party and tried to get its nomination for the 1916 gubernatorial elections. But he failed in the primaries. He then left the party and became a member of the Prohibition Party . His new party immediately put him up for the gubernatorial elections, which he also won.

The Prohibitions Party

The United States' Prohibition Party was founded in 1869 with the aim of fighting alcohol. The party advocated a strict ban on the manufacture and trade in alcoholic beverages. Politically, the party was never able to break the supremacy of the Democratic or Republican Party , but its influence led to the 18th Amendment in 1919, which enshrined prohibition in the American constitution. After this law proved impracticable in the 1920s and only encouraged alcohol smugglers and organized crime, it was revoked in 1933 with the 21st Amendment. The party continues to exist in the US to this day, but has become politically insignificant. In its entire history, the party had only promoted two of its members to higher offices. This was Congressman Charles Hiram Randall , who represented California in Washington in the 1910s , and Sidney Catts, the governor of Florida.

Florida governor

Catts won the gubernatorial election of 1916, becoming the only governor of Florida and of the entire United States to owe his office to the Prohibition Party. Catts took up his new office on January 2, 1917. His four-year term ended on January 4, 1921. During this time, Catts had to deal with the Democratic opposition in the Florida House of Representatives , which rejected many of his proposals. Nevertheless, some reform laws were passed. So there was a tax reform in those years. The infrastructure has been improved and there has also been progress in the field of health care. Care for the mentally handicapped was improved. Catts also campaigned for women's suffrage , which was introduced nationwide in 1919. He appointed the first woman to his cabinet. On the other hand, the governor was a racist. He hated black people as well as Catholics. In 1919 he refused to criticize two black lynchings. He viewed the African-Americans as an inferior race. Also during his tenure, the United States entered World War I under President Woodrow Wilson, and Florida, like all US states, had to support the war effort.

Further life

According to the Florida Constitution at the time, Catts was not allowed to be directly re-elected in 1920. He rejoined the Democrats and ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 1920 . In 1924 and 1928 he ran again for the nomination for the gubernatorial elections, which he missed both times. Although Catts belonged again to the Democratic Party, he fought in 1928 their presidential candidate Al Smith because he was Catholic. Sidney Cats died in March 1936. He was married to Alice Mary Campbell, with whom he had eight children.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport Conn. 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

Commons : Sidney Johnston Catts - collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Catts, Sidney Johnston
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	July 31, 1863
PLACE OF BIRTH	Pleasant Hill , Alabama
DATE OF DEATH	March 9, 1936
Place of death	DeFuniak Springs , Florida