St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-19

road connecting every county seat in Louisiana with every
other county seat. The parishes, under this system, must take
care of the neighborhood and community roads: To supplement
this system there should be a great national system OF public
roads connecting every state capital with every othe~ state
capital. Therefore, if this system would be carried out in these
United States, we would have, first, a national system Of public
roads connecting every state capital with every other state
capital; second, a state system of public roads connecting with
every county seat with every other county seat, and, third, the
community roads will be taken care Of by the counties and par
ishes.
Should be. elected Senator from this State, I intend to de-
vote myself to these and similar questions of great national
improvements.
Special interests, big business and standpatters! You will
find all of these in this campaign, either openly or secretly work
ing for one or both of my opponents. Anybody to beat Sanders,
because they know that they have not been able to control me
during my legislative past, or executive present, and because
they know that, if elected to a seat in the Senate, L will repre-
sent all the people Of this State; because they know that | believe
in the doctrine Of "equal rights to all and special privileges
to none''; because they know I believe in the principles of JEFF
ferson and jackson; and because they know that, if elected
Senator, I will work and vote with the progressives of this
nation and not with the reactionaries.
The fight between organized greed and Democracy, the fight
between special interests and the people, the fight between those
who believe in the existing order and those who reach out for
better things, the fight between s~tandpatter and progressive, is
being fought out in this State now; and, for good or for evil, for
success or for failure, for political life or political oblivion, I
take my stand with the progressives and against thereachonares.
line up with those who believe in the divine spirit of discomfort
that is ever reaching out for better and higher things, rather
than with those who adhere to the doctrine 'let well enough
alone" #a@*4@sh# aIN
Thus is the issue drawn. Upon the lines indicated in my
speech at Ruston, and here today, [ will wage this campaign.
All the days of my political life have fought for what [ deemed
the best interest of the great mass Of the people of this State,
and should you honor me with your commission to represent
you in the Senate chamber of these United States, [ pledge my
self to work, with all the zeal that | have, for the lettering
Of the conditions of the people of Louisiana and OF all this Union.
Whatever power of persuasion, whatever energy that | have, will
be used for your benefit, and, if working and fighting will secure
for Louisiana the things that she is entitled to at the hands OF
Congress, then Louisiana shall have them, for know how to
work and l know how to- fight. If elected Senator, the people
of this State will have put me under additional obligations to
themselves, an obligation that can only be repaid by ceaseless
work in their interest and ceaseless activity in their behalf.
To Louisiana, glorious in her traditions of the past, splendid in
her present, and wondrous in the promise Of her future-to
Louisiana, my native state, | can only dedicate my services, no
matter what my station may be, and wish for her, and for her
people, progress and prosperity, peace and plenty.