The Opelousas courier., 1908-01-18
Governor Blanchard
Removes I1e9Si61zz> 1zz>42rs

Gov. Blanchard on a number of
occasions recently has warned the
registrars of the State that there
must be no partisanship in the
conduct of their Offices and fur
ther that their must thoroughly
purge the registration rolls.
Last week he removed Regis
trar Dauenhauer of Jefferson par
ish for cause, also Jere M. Gleason
Of New Orleans for cause.
The Times-Democrat, which is
maintaining a neutral attitude in
the present campaign, speaks OF
Gov. Blanchard's act in part as
follows:
Gov. Blanchard yesterday fol-
lowed up his removal, for cause,
of MIR. Dauenhauer as registrar OF
Jefferson parish by removing Jere
NJ. Gleason, supervisor of registra-
ton for New Orleans, also for
cause, and appointing Mortimer
N. Wisdom to the vacancy. The
Governor gives q full explanation
of his action in these cases, which
we print elsewhere. It has been
known for some days past that Mr..
Gleason was to be removed, and
public opinion approved in adj
vance the action of the Governor
in regard to the two registrars,
recognizing the necessity of having
a primary free from the slightest
taint of factionalism. Governor
Blanchard months ago issued an
order to the registrars to this effect
and gave notice Of his intention
to see to it that the primary was
absolutely fair.
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The primary is a contest be-
tween Democrats, in which no
element OF factionalism should be
allowed to enter. Gov. Blanchard
brings charges of faetionalism
against Mr.. Gleason and presents
the strongest evidence to support
them, evidence that will convince
any unprejudiced and disinterest-
ed person that Mr.. Gleason is not
the man to have charge Of the city
registration at this time. No one
disputes the fairness of Mr.. Wis
dom, no one doubts that every
faction and candidate in the pri-
mary and at the election will re-
ceive absolute and equal justice.
The people of New Orleans
want and intend to have an honest
primary, despite the efforts of the
!. bosses 2 and "ringsters, as of
old, to prevent it; and the regis
tration office is the key to it.
The New Orleans States, which
IS a Sanders paper, says:
Late last night the information
was given out that Governor Blan-
chard had removed Registrar of
Voters Jere M. Gleason and had
appointed Mortimer N. Wisdom as
his successor. In a long statement
given out by the Governor, he al
Ieges that early in the campaign
he had instructed Mr.. Gleason
that he was expected to be non-
partisan in so far as the guberna-
torial candidates are concerned.
He removes him and appoint as
his successor a gentleman who was
college classmate OF Candidate
Wilkinson and who is the presi-
dent Of the Fourteenth Ward VIII
kinson Club.
We have not the time here to en-
ter into an analysis of the reasons
given by the Governor for his high
handed act in removing Mr.. Glea-
son. He might just as well have
summed it all up in one sentence;
Gleason was a non-partisan and a
Wilkinson partisan was wanted in
that important position. Any one
knows how easy it is in the heat OF
a political campaign for interested
parties to get up afidavits certify
ing to anything that may be
wanted. Any practical person
knows how impossible it is for er-
rors not to creep into the registra-
ton when thousands of names are
being registered.
Governor Blanchard has pro-
jected himself into this campaign
for the purpose Of naming his
successor and not to purify the
registration. If his purpose had
been to purify the registration, he
would at least have named q nom
partisan Registrar, instead of selec-
lecting as he did, the closest man
I to Candidate Wilkinson, whom