Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-09-09
THE RESULTS OF THE PRIMARY.
New Orleans Daily States.)

show the contest for the supreme
Court judgeship between Judges
Land and Hall has apparently re-
suited in the victory Of the latter.
Of the three Congressman who had
opposition, Mr.. Pujo has won by a
safe majority in the Seventh District
and Judge Watkins and Mr.. Rams
dell have badly whipped their OPP
ponents in the Fourth and Fifth.
These were the only contests in
Tuesdays primary in which general
interest existed.
The defeat of Justice Land is not
altogether surprising, for the odds
were against him geographically and
he had as an opponent a young,
high-toned and popular citizen and
able jurist. When the campaign
opened loyal supporters of Justice
Land believed, in the face of an
almost hopeless fight, that his can
didacy was unwise. He desired,
however, to make the race and an
excellent Confederate record. the
prestige of high Office, the exer-
tions of influential political friends,
the readiness with which he dotted
the ermine and went among the peO-
pie asking for support and the enrgy
and enterprise of his campaign COM
mittee enabled him to cut deeply in
to the vote of the district. Neverthe-
less the result has confirmed the fears
of his friends when the campaign
opened. The new justice is gen.
tleman of the highest character,
honored and respected throughout
the section, and his admirable rec
ord both on the district and appel
late benches has equipped him for
his new judicial station.
1t may nHs be out of place to say
here that the campaign has by no
means served to popularize the new
method of nomination Of the men,
bers of our supreme tribunal. A
number Of the papers in the district
have expressed the hope that there
may be no repetition Of the specta-
Gle of dignified justices having to
step down from their high seats to
canvass for votes. Some incidents
of the campaign have not been above
criticism, although there is no long
er need to discuss them. It is per-
fectly evident, however, that the
people of this district as of that in
which Mr.. Justice Provosty, Mr..
Breazeale and Mr.. Sompayrac fought
their campaign. would not oppose
very strenuously a modification Of
the primary which would, at least.
exclude justices of the Supreme
Court from its operation. And while
we are not in the confidence of the
court, we are very much inclined
to believe it, too, would look with
fovor upon a return to the old ap-
pOintive system.
To some extent the result in the
Seventh District also was counter
to expectation, though close observ-
ers had not failed to observe in the
last three or four weeks a distinct
change in the tide.
At the outset it looked as if Mr..
Baily might win in a canter. He
was a native of the district, he had
carried it by large majority in two
previous elections, he had inhuen-
tial leaders in several of the par
ishes supporting him and there still
fingered about him a sentiment of
martyrdom.
On the other hand Mr.. Pujo had
a narrow escape from defeat two
years before at the hands of can:
didate less aggressive than Mr.. Bailey
and there was again a perplexing
division fight in bis own parish.
But Mr.. Pujo proved he has none
of the qualities of a gutter, he had
ample funds for a vigorous cam
paign, he had many staunch friends
in each of the parishes, he had the
advantage which goes with long
seasoning in public life at Washing
ton, he was credited with having
rendered yeomen service in behalf
of the rice industry and he had
many of the newspapers with him.
As the campaign progressed it be-
came evident that Mr.. Pujo was