St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-09-10

This should have been the an
nouncement Of the lecture" of Judge
Gilbert 4. Dupre, delivered at the
courthouse in 0pelousas last Thurs
day night.
Political Stormcenters, How to
Avoid Them" as the posters read,
was misnomer.
Anyway, SO it turned out to be.
We have not heard one single
man, woman or child, in the COM
munity, who did not deprecate Judge
Dupre's untimely and nncalled-for
lecture"
On the other hand We have heard
his closest friends, both political and
personal, censure him.
We have heard even men who
applauded him at the beginning
of his speech, afterwards dis
claim approval Of it. Whether
this change of attitude was brought
about by the Judges peroration or
whether it was because his lecture
did not take root, but on the contrary
raised a storm center" the equal
Of which was never known ii Opelou-
sas, we do not know. But it is
nevertheless q fact.
Thursday morning posters were
circulated about town. inviting the
people to a Free Lecture, to be de-
liVered by Mr.. Gilbert {. Dupre, at
the courthouse, on Thursday evening,
the 9th, at s o'clock" His subject" !"
continued the poster, will be Poli-
tical Stormcenters, How to Avoid
Them, With special reference to the
Big Stick. :"
The people expected some humer-
Gus entertainment, as the Judge is
won't to give, and there was a large
crowd present, including several
ladies'.
But, as regretable as it is, the
lecture reeked with venom and
spleen.
It was . TRADE against the ad-
ministration, jim Bailey and the
Clarion.
It was a post mortem over st.
Landry's defeated candidate for Con-
gress, jim Bailey.
And there was no surprise when
the very audience who had heard him
that is, more than two-thirds of it,
the other third having left the court
room before the speaking was over
met in mass-meeting and passed con-
demnatory resolutions, and cheered
the ones whom Judge Dupre had so
uniustly assailed, and cried down an
organization which they thought was
connected with the lecture, but
which We have since heard will repu-
diate any connection with it. We
refer to the Good Government Lea
gue.
The grayamen of Judge Dupre's
address wss that Gov. Sanders had
interferred in local politics; that jim
Bailey had accepted the support Of
che administration; that the editor Of
the Clarion, who represents the New
Orleans Daily States IN 0pelousas,
had sent a special to the States 10
the effect that Judge Dupre had
been Republican and opposed Mr..
Pujo some years ago as the Republi-
can nominee for Congress, and that
the Clarion had reproduced another
special saying that Judge Dupre's
speeches for Mr.. Pujo in Avoyelles
were doing injury to Mr.. Pujo.
He began his speech by advocating
good government, a government by
the people, and the stripping Of the
Governor of his appointive powers.
AS long as he went on in this vein
things rocked smoothly, and at times
he received mild applause. Then he
unlimbered on the State administra-
tion. and at bosses in general, and at
Jim Bailey's connection with the ma
chine" And right at this spot was
it that he ran into the 'stormcenter.
Chas. +. Bailey, a brother Of jim
Bailey. arose and respectfully put
this sumner to the Judge. Judge,
why don't you say something about
the support Of the administration
and of the New Orleans bosses for
your nephew, Garland Dupre, for
Congress in New Orleans. You didn't
object to that support, because that
support was for your kinsman. Be
consistent"
The "etormcenter7 broke cut.
The audience cheered to the echo.
Some threw up their hats, others
yelled, others laughed.
Aad it was at this very point, also,
that the very few who had accorded
Judge Dupre occasional applause. left
him to sink OF swim.
The rest Of bis lecture was de-
liveFed to tOmbstones, as far as ami
nation goes.
Only towards the end, did another
incident occur which showed che anti
pathy of the audience to Judge
Dupre's lecture" It was when Mr.
Chaa. F. Bailey left his SCAT and took
one directly III front Of Judge Dupge.