St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-22
IT Was JUST A PIPE
DREAM OF The
TIMESDEMOCRAT
EmphaticaIly Denied that Sem
stor Foster Informed Judge
Thornton that He Would
Not Be Seated

Very often it happens that a news
paper reporter is imposed upon and
made to give incorrect news.
And sometimes it happens that q
reporter is instructed from head
quarters" to designedly color the
news, SO that it will help along the
policy of the newspaper he represents.
This Misrepresentation of FACTS
are generally INDUCED in by the So
called reform press.
They want to tear down the ms
they want to break into the enclosure
and care little what means they
adopt, just 80 they can come in and
get pie.
Here is an instance. 1t is from
the Alexandra Town Talk of last
Saturday:
Judge J. R. Thornton returned
last night from New Orleans, and
was interviewed this morning relative
to a statement which appeared in
Fridays Tines Democrat. The state
ment referred to here follows:
Judge J. R. Thornton, senatorial
appointee from Louisiana, has been
formally notified that it Will be inn
possible for him to take his seat in
the Senate, according to a report last
night. The notification is said to
have been given him yesterday by the
United States Senator. Senator Fos-
ter interviewed all the members Of
the Senate Committee on elections,
and it is said that these interviews
convinced him that the Senate would
not honor Judge Thornton's appoint
ment.
when Governor Sanders, elected
United Senator by the Legislature,
vas induced" to resign the senator
ship, he appointed Judge Thornton.
Judge Thornton has never received
his commission. The failure Of the
Governor to issue it has been COM
mented on for some time, and it was
believed all along that the Governor
was holding it up until Senator Eos
ter could ascertain how the Senatorial
committee stood on the question of
seating Senator" Thornton.
Senator Foster and Judge Thorn
ton, both stopping at the st.
Charles Hotel, were in conference for
a long time yesterday. A friend Of
Judge Thornton afterward remarked
that the judge took it p~hilospophi-
cally."
"As most politicians see it, Gov.
Sanders is still Senator, for he never
issued a commission to Judge Thorn
ton. He only announced that he had
appointed the Judge Senator. Gov.
Sanders plan, according to some Of
the leaders, is to announce that the
appointment of Judge Thornton is i'm
practicable owing to the attitude of
the Senate committee, and that he
the Governor, will have to reassume
the toga. The city leaders, at whose
pleading he dotted it. are said to be
sorely disappointed at the turn of
things, and are hoping against hope
that Governor Sanders will yet find a
way to remain Governor.
ION retiring to his roomIlast night
Judge Thornton left word that he
did not want to be disturbed.
Neither Gev. Sanders nor Senator
Foster could be reached.
In answer to the question of the
Town Talk representative as to what
he had to say on the subject, Judge
replied: All | have TO say
is that | knew nothing of this until I
saw it in the Times Democrat yester-
day morning, and that | think some
waggish friend of the Times-Demo-
crat reporter perpetuated a hoax up
on him. | have no reason in the
world to suppose that I will not take
my seat in December
This mornings Shreveport Times
contains the following statement sent
out from New Orleans:
t'The statement that United States
Senator Murphy ]. Foster had been
quoted as declaring that the Senate
on Privileges and Elections
would report against seating Judge
]. R. Thornton Of Rapides, who has
has been appointed by Governor San
ders to succeed the late Senator Nc
is declared to be entirely
wrong BY Senator Foster.
THE senior senator was interviewed
over the telephone this afternoon,
and said that he had spoken to only
one member of the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections, and had
not repeated the opinion expressed
By that senator to a living soul.
As for himself, be declined to ex-
press an opinion on the question, and
did not know what their attitude was
and, il he knew, he would not discuss
it"