The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-07-09
GOV. SANDERS ELECTED UNITED
STATES SENATOR.

GOV. SANDERS ELECTED UNITED
STATES SENATOR.
By an overwhelming majority of both
houses of the Louisiana general assembly,
Jared Young Sanders. governor of the
state, was on Tuesday. July 5, elected
United States senator to ELL the unexpired
term of the late lamented Samuel Douglas
McEnery. whose sudden death occurred
just week before.
A militant minority Of the general
assembly opposed the proposition to 90
into the senatorial election, contending
for recognition of the mandate of the
state law that United States senators and
all other officers should be nominated by
primary election, but the governor and
his supporters held to the view that the
federal law is paramount in the premises
and that it was the duty of the general
assembly under this law to proceed to the
election Of a senator on the second Tues
day following official notice of an existing
vacancy. The notice had been given by
the governor on the very day that Senator
McEnery passed away, which happened
10 be a Tuesday, therefore it was COM
petent for the assembly to elect at the
pending session. Had Senator McEnery's
death been delayed dozen hours the
notice could not have reached the as
~ - kn lod.,1 ala
ton of senator before the close of the
regular session of 1910. The view of the
administration forces prevailed and the
election was gone into, with the result
that the senate voted 81 for Sanders and
one for Congressman R. F. BrousSard, and
the house 80 for Sanders, II for John
Dallas Wilkinson and for Broussard. A
joint session of the two houses was held
on Wednesday at which the result was
formally announced and Gov. Sanders
declared elected to the senate for the
unexpired term ending March 4, 1915.
The candidate appeared before the legis-
lators and made an eloquent speech of
appreciation and acceptance which elic-
led enthusiastic applause.
Without taking up at this time the
question of the propriety of the general
assemblys action from either legal
moral standpoint, The Chief feels free to
admit that in every aspect but that of the
location of his domicile-which is in the
same parish and town as that of the
states other senator-Govern0r Sanders
was the logical candidate of the dominant
political organization for this new honor;
that he has the ability, energy and all
essential qualifications to fill the position
with credit to himself and Louisiana, and
that with respect to the great project of
the Worlds Panama Exposition for New
Orleans, his presence in the halls of con-
gress promises TO prove particularly adj
and valuable to this state and
its chief city.
Jared Sanders has his limitations, his
faults and foibles, as all other men have
in greater or lesser measure, and he has
said and done many things which The
Chief could neither commend nor con
done. He entertains views on matters of
public policy and political economy from
which we unqualifedly dissent, and he
mas maintained partisan and political
affiliations that are little to our liking.
But these considerations do not preclude
m impartial recognition of his conspicu-
Jus talents nor debar candid expression
# the belief that he is destined to
chieve prominent and influential DO
ition among the able and distinguished
nen who constitute the membership of
he United States senate,