Tensas gazette., 1911-11-03

In this campaign am supporting Hon.
John T. Michel.
have no apologies to make for SUP
porting Colonel Wilkinson. I recog-
Eized in him one of Louisiana's best
and noblest sons. 1 believed him to be
the best man for the governorship.
supported everything that supported
him and | fought to the best of my
ability every interest and every person
that opposed him. glory in the fact
that was privileged to serve him
and my association with him will ever
remain a cherished memeory.
Michel Best Man.
I am supporting the Hon. John T.
Michel in this campaign for the very
some reason. ! believe him to be the
best man.
Mr.. Michel is a candidate for gov
ernor on his record, his merits and his
platform. and not on the delinquencies
of his opponents.
He has never at any period of his
campaign sought to drag those who
opposed him In the mire Of personal
politics. On the contrary, in his open
ing speech at Ruston he was careful
to avoid any allusion to either Judge
Hall or Prof. Aswell. He confined
himself to the discussion of his own
claims.
An illustration of his deep-rooted
abhorrance for personal politics is fur
nished by his connection with the now
famous autograph letter from Judge
Hall to Mr. Henry Bernstein, on Mon
roe. asking the latter to write to the
registrars and game wardens in his be-
half when he was a candidate for as
sociate justice of the Supreme Court.
This letter was in the possession of
Mr.. Michel some time before Prof
Aswell charged that Judge Hall had
written It. The fact of its existence
was known to Mr.. Michel at a very
early stage of the campaign. Hear
Ing, in fact, that such letter existed,
Mr.. Michel asked Mr.. Bernstein for
the document and that gentleman
furnished it.
The temptation to use this letter
was naturally great 1t completely
nullified Judge Halls assumption of
natural enmity to the machine. 1t
gave Mr.. Michel, in fact, immeasur-
able advantage over Judge Hall, but
he declined to use it. The letter was
kept for several weeks under lock and
key, and was returned to Mr. Henry
Bernstein, from whom 1t had been OBJ
tanned, when that gentleman request
ed its return in order that he might
be able to answer Judge Halls chal-
lenge for proof of the charge that he
Judge Hall) had written the letter.
Prof. Aswell. without the actual proof
in his possession. was less forbearing.
He is conducting a campaign along
different lines than those followed by
Mr.. Michel, and jumped at an oppor-
tunity to put Judge Hall in the nine
hole.
merely state these facts about the
connection Of Mr.. Michel with the
Hall letter in order to show you the
sincerity OF the man whose cause !
am espousing and to convince you
that when he says thing he means
it.
Prof. Aswell, in several of his ad-
dresses. referred slightingly to Mr..
Michel's occupation as stenographer.
He said In his Baton Rouge speech
that Mr.. Michel had been taking dicta-
ton all his life, and would take it at
Baton Rouge IL elected governor. His
reference, of course, was to political
dictation, but the records do not bear
out the charge.
Mr.. Michel did not take dictation in
1906, when Governor Blanchard com
pelled the majority Of the ward lead
ers to accept as district attorney of
New Orleans a gentleman who was
not their choice, but his. He refused
to follow the governor and was one of
those who held out to the last against
the choice of the governor fer district
attorney.
Nor did he take dictation when the
now historic Monroe conference
sought to eliminate him as factor
in the gubernatoral race. He spoiled
the plans Of those who sought to
make his candidacy impossible by ap-
pealing directly to the people.
In no instance Of his public career
has he subordinated his political judg-
ment and independence to the wishes
Of others.
Mr.. Michel is charged by all Of the
opposition with being a ward boss,
and an effort is being made to pre-
judice the country voters against him
1t is natural that in a political cam
paign each side uses every weapon
that may be at hand in an effort to
discomfort their opponents. All sides
are looking for votes. And ! make
the honest statement to you, without
fear Of contradiction. that If the reg
ular organization of New Orleans was
divided into three parts. and that each
third of it went to the support of
one of the gubernatorial candidates
in this race, you would never hear
another word about the ward bosses.
Tho plain truth of the matter is that
they are the enemies Of the common
wealth uhon fhov ora AGAINST 70 ond
they are angels in disguise when they