The Washington times., 1911-09-27
ROOSEVELT MADE
- p
ISSUE N POLITICAL
FIGHT IN LOUISIANA
Peculiar Battle Between Re
formers and Old Ma
chine for Control.
By JUDsoN C. wELLIvER.

NelOpeu into an issue IN the FUNNIEST
political campaign now going on any
where in the country. 1t is in Louisi-
ana.
Did John NJ. Parker vote for Roose-
welt for President? That's the burn
Ing question in Louisiana. Parker Is
campaign manager of the good govern
ment movement, which is making a
big fight to reform the State.
Now, Parker took Roosevelt on
great bear hunt while Roosevelt was
President. They are both strenuous.
Both have been hard-working reform
ers all their lives. They are long
time personal friends. And the sus-
picion is violent, that in 1904 Parker
voted for Roosevelt.
Why not? louisiana is more Repup-
Hcan than Roosevelt, on the only issue
anybody is worrying about down there
the tariff.
But that's what makes 1t so funny. In
Louisiana a politician must be apso-
lutely, unqualifedly, dyed-in-the-wool.
lB-carat Democrat in all outward forms
and sembIances, simply because there's
nothing but form and semblance to his
Democracy.
It's ruin. in Louisiana, to have your
Democracy even suspected.
It's also ruin, in Louisiana, to vote
with the Democrats on any real issue.
And that's what makes the present
Louisiana campaign so humorous.
Double Jointed Show.
The State is trying. at one and the
same time, to rebuke Parker for voting
for Roosevelt and to indorse Senator
Foster for voting for the Aldrich-S -Smoot
tariff bill. The contortions exceed those
of the two snakes that tried simul-
taneously to swallow each other.
Louisiana is as hopelessly Democratic
as Pennsylvania is Republican; yet on
the tariff issue, which marks the most
manifest division between the parties at
present, II is exactly in line with Penn
sylvania. It is for high protection, be-
cause il has interests which demand
protection, exactly as Pennsylvania is.
Sugar, rice, and lumber are the
Louisiana staples that insist on prote"
tion. Louisiana in Congress has ira
ditionally stood with Pennsylvania on
tariff matters. and the spectacle of a
double-jointed Senatorial contest in
which the outs" are posing as mod
erate-Very moderate-tarin reformers,
is quite UNIQUE in the States political
experience of recent decades.
During the 1909 tarin session there
were no two more reliable protection
Senators than McEnery and Foster or
Louisiana. When Mr.. McEnery died
and Mr.. Thornton was named in his
place by Governor Jared Saunders. It
was presumed that Louisiana's old ad-
herence TO the high tariff program
would continue -.
Reform Hits Louisiana.
But the reform movement that seems
In the air everywhere has reached even
Louisiana. That State has one of the
most interesting and generally effective
political machines in the country. 1t
lie based on the city gang of New Or
leans, the educational machine which
controls the school patronage of the
State at large, and the vast patronage
power Of the governor, who in the way
Of appointments Is one of the most po.
tent executives in the country.
Governor Saunders was elected ex-
ecutive as a supposed reformer; but they
charge that he didn't perform. When he
got in. he proceeded to use his authori-
ty and jobs to strengthen himself and
organize for a Senatorial fight. AS
result of Senator McEnery's death, the
next legislature Will have to choose two
Senators; one for a full and the other
IOT TERM. senator Foster is
a candidate for reelection; Senator
Thornton is not. Governor Saunders
aspires, and so do Representatives
Ransdell, Broussard and Pujo. A state
wide primary in January will make the
aomina tionsr' which are equivalent to
elections.
Governor Saunders and Senator Fos-
ter used to be law partners; but des-
pfte that. Saunders has tried. pretty
successfully, to steal the old State ma
chine from FnStnT hn 10 a
Mr.. Foster broke into control many
years ago as a reformer: so long ago
that people are given to incredulity, in
view Of his latter-dav record of tory
ism, when assured that once he was
the pride and jov of the Louisiana !
Goo-Goos None the less. Mr. Foster
led the great fight which drove the
Louisiana State lottery out of power
That Job of reforming tired the Sena-
Tor frightfully. He has never done any
since. Governor Saunders also failed to !
reform much. So now the Goo-Goos are
up in arms. determined to have a gov |
ernor who will carry out the promises
that Saunders is accused of breaking. |
The Gon-Goo candidate for governor is |
Luther r. Hall, of Monroe, who pledges |
himself to the abolition of a vast fabric !
OF useless offices, now constituting the
patronage power of the governor.
Gang Names Candidate.
The organization candidate for gov
ernor is John T. Micheall, secretary
of State and one of the ward bosses
of New Orleans. In putting him for
ward for governor, the allied gangs
have gone farther than ever before
for they have not till now had the
temerity to propose one of the de-
spised ward rulers for governor. !
Nicheall however. is a fine type of
the gang politician. good ioller. lib
eraI spender, skilled mixer and all
that.
The chairman of the good govern
ment committee is John NJ. Parker, one
cf the moet persistent reformers now
extant He is also an intimate. per-
sonal friend OF Theodore Roosevelt. |
They say in Louisiana that Parker
voted for Roosevelt; and an amusing
fact is that this charge against Parker
IS hurting his gubernatorial candidate, !
Hall considerably. Yet the charge that |
Senator Foster voted with the Repub- |
Hcans throughout the tariff session |
rather strengthens than weakens him |
with the voters!