The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-07-29
A BIT OF JOINT DISCUSSION.

r.
John NJ. Parker of New Orleans TO
speak at the Farmers Union mass
meeting at Natchitoches this week,
but by some hocus pocus yet to be
explained the invitation was with
drawn on the pretext that Mr.. Par
ker is not a candidate for office.
Not to be baked in his announced
intention of making a full and talf
statement of what transpired at the
Monroe conference between himself,
DR.. Aswell and friends Of the latter,
when the question of the DOCTOR
Endorsement as a gubernatorial can
didate by the Good Government
League was discussed, Mr.. Parker
hired the Natchitoches opera house
for Wednesday evening and sent a
letter to DR.. Aswell inviting him TO
a seat on the stage that he might
hear the statement and answer II
he chose.
The invitation was accepted and
both speakers gave their versions OF
the Monroe consultation. Mr.. Far
ker said he had candidly stated the
objections to DR.. AsWell to be MS
long and close alliance with the
state machine which the league is
irving to smash; his Abandonment
of the position of state superlnteh-
dent of public education and accept
ance of the SUPPLEMENTARY OF the
State Normal School at the behest
of Governor Sanders; his confessed
inability to produce vouchers Tor
his heavy expenditures for travelling
expenses when state superintendent
the personal profit he has derived
from the adoption of the AsWeli
speller as a school text book, and
the comment and prejudice caused
by his prompt response to the cali
of the system to come to their aid
when the complications following the
death of superintendent Easton arose
in New Orleans. The replies and
defenses made by DIR. AsWell to all
of these objections were also clteo
by Mr.. Parker, whose representations
were evidently accurate and truth
full. since DR.. Aswell did not take
issue with any material statement OF
fact advanced by his adversary.
DR.. Aswell replied to the speech
of the league leader and won
great deal Of applause from the as
sembled people of his home town, as
he would naturally have done even
if his defense and retort had been
weaker than they really were. he
insisted that the Monroe conference
had been sought by Mr. Parker
rather than by himself and his
friends, and !. that it was suggested
to him that he withdraw and JON ft
the league in heading off possible
alliance between Congressman Rams
dell and the ring. DR. AsWel sale
that the question Of his expense &C
counts had been settled several years
ago and that his character was
not to be besmirched by revamping
it now. He then launched into {
personal attack upon Mr.. Parker
whom he designated as this fol
lower and aper of Roosevelt, thi:
conceited. arrogant, Would-be pollt
ical boss, whose political complex
ion seems to change with every
election" etc., and denounced hin
for his evidence il the Newman {
Hyman cotton case in New Orlean
eight years ago, when he testlflet
that the averaging of prices II
cotton sales was just and necessary
DR.. Aswell closed by saying tina
members of the Good Government
League had importuned him to ru1
for the senate against Sanders, o
to retain the presidency of the Stat
Normal School and stump the stat
for Hall, or to accept second plac
on the league ticket, but he had re
fused and declared his intention t
remain in the field for governor t
the end.
1t is very hard for the averag
man to discard his partisan bias an
form a fair and impartial judgmen
in such matters, but it seems to Il
that those who can do this mus
reach the conclusion on a careful
comparison of the Natchitoche
speeches that Mr.. Parker had by ia
the better of the facts and the al
gument, and that DIR. AsWell place
himself at a decided disadvantage i
evading the most serious objection
urged against his candidacy an
INDUCING in a personal TRADE tina
was both irrelevant and unprovokeC