St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-08-21
DID NOT CONFER WITH
GOVERNOR BLANCHARD.
Mr.. ThOs. H. Lewis Enters Vigorous Denial Of
Having Been Inspired by Ex-Governor.

0pelousas, La, Aug. 18th, 1909.
Editor Clarion: Inasmuch as you
reproduced the charge made by Mr..
Amos L. Ponder in his speech here,
that Twas instignated by Ex-Governor
Newton G. Blanchard in making what
he termed my attack on the State
Administration, | ask for sufficient
space in your paper to contradict
with emphasis that wholly unfounded
and gratuitous statement. In the
first place / am credited here by
people generally, not excepting those
who enjoy the favor and support Of
the Clarion, with the possession Of
sufficient mind and independence of
thought and Of speech to think, act
and speak for myself. / made the
address before the Farmers Educa-
tional and Cooperative Union by in
vitation Of a committee Of arrange
ments, and my first notice that | had
been selected by that committe to
open the discussion before that body
was the publication of the fact in the
Clarion. The address was framed
from the standpoint of two of the
articles of the constitution Of that
body, and abundant proofs were given
after it's delivery that it voiced the
views of the delegates present. /
have never heard of any conference
being held in North Louisiana until
the statement was made here by Mr..
Ponder in his speech, nor have | had
the pleasure of meeting Ex-Governor
Blanchard since he retired from the
gubernatorial Office, nor. have I had
any communication whatever with
him directly or indirectly since that
date. / do not know what the Ex-
Governors views are as to the poll
tical situation in this State. Nor
have | any reason to believe that he
is now or will take part in politics in
this State. / am not surprised, how
ever, that Mr.. Ponder has dragged
Mr.. Blanchard's nam into this con
versy. His aggressive ability and
force Of character is feared, and the
purpose, undoubtedly, is to anticipate
and destroy his influence in advance.
Whatever mistakes, if any, he may
have made during his term as govern
or, he certainly made no mistake in
the strenuous effort which he made
toward the end of his administration
to purge the registration rolls Of
Orleans and st. Bernard, and should
he enter the next State canvass as q
speaker, he will doubtless discuss,
without fear or favor, the causes of
the failure of his attempt to purge
these registration rolls, as well as the
influence which persuaded the State
Committee from hearing and deter
mining the charges Of fraud formally
preferred against the election officers
of those parishes, as also the infu-
ences which restrained the Legisla-
ture from enacting a reform primary
election law to make the repetition Of
those frauds impossible.
The further statement by Mr.. Pom.
der that / charged the present Legis-
lature with the creation Of the Port
Commission is quite as baseless as
his other charges against me. ]
made no such statement either in my
address or on any other occasion. ]
simply charged the present Legisla.
ture with making the extravagant
appropriations for the pay of the at
torneys of that commission. While
Governor Blanchard recommended the
creation Of the Port Commission, and
which was created by the special SEES
sion called by him, yet neither he moi
the Legislature is responsible for the
waste of the public's money appropri-