St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-08-14
PONDER ANSWERS
HON. THOS. II. LEWIS
Sabine Statesman Delivers Powerful Address to Peo-
pIe.of Opelousas--Mr. Lewis l2etrots
III Caustic Manner.
In Caustic Manner.

which it was announced that Hon.
Amos 81 Ponder, of Sabine, now at
torney Of the Louisiana Game Com
mission, would make reply to the
structures upon the present admins
tration made BY Hon. Thos. II. Lewis 70
The Farmers Union in meeting a few
weeks ago, proved more interesting
that the general public anticipated.
III was not on the programme that
a joint debate between Mr.. Ponder
and Mr. Lewis would be pulled off.
II was generally understood that
tic speech Of ME-. Lewis was an at
tack upon the administration of Gov.
Sanders, Of which he has always
been an enemy, and the Mr.. Ponder
was coming here to reply to him, in
behalf Of the administration.
Mr. Lewis, however, had prepared
u speech III rejoinder to Mr.. Ponder,
and was in the audience ready to de-
liver it at the conclusion of the Sa-
bine mans speech-and he did. But
Mi. Lewis speech was much more
peppery than The typewriter copy
of III. NE. Ponder had gone more
deeply into the subject than Mr..
Lewis anticipated, and it may be said
than Mr. Lewis spoken speech was
extemporaneous.
Both gentlemen were loudly ap-
pIauded, and both scored telling
points.
Mr. Ponder, in rejoinder, scored
heavily in showing that the measure
for which the administration was so
severely critized-creation Of the
Port Commission was an act Of the
Blanchard administrations act Of
the very mar which Mr.. Ponder
charged was inspiring Mr.. Lewis in
his fight against the present admins
tration.
Mr. Ponder showed that very many
Of the acts complained Of BY Mr..
Lewis, and charged to the present
administration, have been on the
statute books Of the States for many
years.
He showed that the Juvenile Law,
which Nr. Lewis charges the State
administration with prepetrating On
TIE people, was d Constitutional
Amendment, voted upon by the peo-
ypse, and not an act of the Legislature.
His address showed careful prepar-
alton, and was a masterpiece, ex-
ploding completely many Of the
charges made against The administra-
.tion and the last Legislature.
Cir Ponder is q good, clear, force
fuV speaker. and interested his audi
once.
of course Mr. Lewis defended his
course ~forcefully, and the audience
was decidedly with him, particularly
Ii bis criticisms Of the Came Com
mission.
Nj. ponder spoke in part as fol
Rows
sc has never been my desire to
End fault with persons who differ
with me, SO long as they deal fairly,
but | must confess that III all my life
have never read a speech, supple
mented BY the effusion published in
the Item Of date July 81, 50 filed
with sophistry, and so ~manifestIy I'M
fair to those it seeks to destroy.
'If Colonel Lewis had scored ex-
trayagance az all times in recent
years. the people Of Louisiana might
be iuduced, at least, to believe him
sincere in his outrageous charges
against the Legislature Of this State.
# Colonel Lewis had said that the
last administration found q surplus
Ii round numbsrs Of $4,000 left il
by Governor Heard, and that that
same administration ~wens4out Of Of
fee with d deficit of 1896, 960.57,
and then said that this administration
wal extrayagant, some people might
al least have believed him.
The present Legislature is a very
high class body Of men, and for them
10 be charged with creating legisIa-
tisa graft and compared TO the poll
t9eal VuItures Of the dark days, is not
oaly unjust. but is absolutely unwar
ranted BIZ the faets.
Mr.. Lewis attacks Act. No. 81,
creating i Board Of Port Pilots.
Tbis sct ii nothing more or less than