The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-07-17
FOR THE SUPREME BENCH.
Hon. Paul A. SOmpayrac Of Lake
Charles Announces.

Lake Charles, La, July For the
first time in many years, West Louis
lana has the opportunity Of seeing
one of her gifted sons upon the bench
of the state supreme court. This Sec
ton of the state has never held the
representation on that body it should
have had: neither has it had repre-
sentatiOn on any of the many lmpOr-
tant boards within the appointive
power of the chief executive.
By a recent change in the conStitu-
ton members of the supreme court are
elective instead of appOintive, and the
first associated member to be elected
under the new law is the member from
the third supreme district court, COM
posed of the parishes of OeSotO, Red
River, VIM, Grant, NatchitOcheS,
! Sabine, Vernon, Cacasieu, Cameron,
| Rapides, VermilIion, Avoyelles, Point
Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville,
St. Landry, Acadia and Lafayette.
For some time past friends Of Hon.
Paul A. SOmpayrac, a brilliant men,
Der of the Calcasieu bar, have been
endeayoring to secure that gentleman's
consent to his name going before the
primary as a candidate for associate
Justice of the state supreme court
from the third district and late this
afternoon Mr.. SOmpaYrac finally
yielded to the opportunities of his
friends from all over the district and
decided to formally announce his
candidacy for the high position.
When seen by your representative
and asked for statement Mr., Som
payrac. with characteristic modeSty
and brevity, gave out the following:
81 have decided to submit my name
to the voters of the democratic pri
mary to be held September as a
candidate for associate Justice of the
supreme court.
1.-THE position is one that one should
seek to obtain on the merits of his
candidacy.
81 shall prosecute my campaign on
a dignifed plane; nevertheless, vigor-
onsly.'
Mr.. Sompayrac is forty years of
age and was born and bred in NatChi-
tOches parish, where he grew to man
hood Shortly after he attained his
majority he moved to this parish and
after graduating at Tulane in the
class Of 93 he was admitted to the bar
and began practice in Lake Charles,
where he has built up one of the finest
law practices enjoYed by any attorney
in this section of Louisiana
In the graduating class with Mr..
Sompayrac we're Hon. Jared Y San
ders, present governor of Louisiana,
Hon. Garland Dupre, speaker of the
house: and many others who have at
tanned much prominence in Louisiana
affairs.
Mr., SOmpayrac's candidacy, or
rather the efforts to get him to de-
clare his candidacy, have met with the
greatest and heartiest of encourage.
ment from all over the district and
especially from Natchitoches parish
in the northern part of the state and
Calcasieu in the southwestern part,
the one parish where he spent his
youth, the other where his maturer
years have been spent and where he
has achieved such success in his
chosen field of endeavor.
His political prestige in Louisiana
is best evidenced by the fact that at
the recent democratic conY entiOn he
was nominated for presidential elector
at large without a shadow of opposi-
ton.
The present incumbent of the asso-
ciate justiceship from this district,
Hon. Oliver o. Provosty of Point
Coupee parish, an appointee of Gov.
Heard; will be candidate to succeed
himself and, so far, is the only oppo-
nent of Mr.. Sompayrac for the posi-
ton.