St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-09-23
THE SERIOUS MAN.
SHOWN TO BE A
RANK PARTISAN
His Service On the District
Court Bench Not A Geranium
By ANY Means.

IeTonL ClLleS Dy the CLARION Iha1
Luther E. Hall is mot The
winged angel claimed by his
friends:
1t is truly remarkable that 8
political candidature campaign in
the United States cannot be salts.
factorily carried on unless candi.
dates can be charged with
wrongdoing of some sort from
an unsavory scandal to an out
rageous crime.
Detraction, disparagment, de-
probation, are the rule when
nothing worse can be trunped
up, and when direct accusations
of evil deeds are impossible, be-
cause they would have to be
backed up by proof when there
is no foundation for them, it is
sought to damage the character
by sly suggestions, cunning in
situations, as if there were some
crime or shameful scandal being
concealed, and exposure depre-
Gated and sought to be bought
off by pretended friends, who
are real enemies.
It is such hints ndsuggestions
of evil that are being used by his
pretended friends, but worst
enemies, to damage John 7.
Michel, the leading candidate
for governor in the present state
political campaign.
It is seldom in any political
contest for high public stations
that the entire lot of candidates
for those positions were as free
from actual evildoing, so far as
is known, as are those in the
present state campaign. Of
course, there are degrees and
gradations of character among
the several candidates, but not
one can be charged with a fla
grant act.
It is true DR.. AsWell was mixed
up in 9. questionable transaction
when he got his speller adopted
as one of the states schoolbooks
while he was connected with the
states educational service, but
there was nothing really bad in
that. The act only had a very
unpleasant flavor.
Then there is d story told of
Supreme Court Justice Hall when
he was a district Judge in the
state. The story was told by
Colonel John r. Sullivan at the
Michel grand rally at Donaldson
vile last Saturday. Colonel Sui
Ivan is a member of the bar and
he quoted chapter and verse from
the courts records. This is the
story told by the colonel:
On Nov. s, 1904, Morehouse
Parish voted dry, Judge Luther
e. Hall was at that time district
judge. On Dec. 80, 1905, the
town of Bastrop voted, under
the law, in favor of the licensed
saloon. j. E. Lewis and H. j.
Broadnax took out licenses to
sell liquor under the decision.
Judge Hall, lining up with the
prohibitionists, convened the
grand jury, brought about the
Indictment of Mr.. Lewis and Mr..
Broadnax, tried and convicted
them. MI. Lewis was fined $301
to bring the case within the
jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court, and appealed.
The cas- styled State of
Louisiana VS.. Lewis, is reported
in the 116 La, page 1852. The
Supreme Court reversed and re-
manded the case, holding that
Lewis was operating under a
LIQUOR license issued by the town
Of Bastrop. The language Of
the court, however, was ambig
uous so far as the disposition to
be made of the case in the lower
court was concerned. After the
Judgment of the court was rem
dered it was given out by Judge
Hall that he was going to place
Mr.. Lewis back on trial, convict
and fine him less than $500, so
that he could not this time take
the case to the Supreme Court. !,
Hearing this, Messrs. Hudson, I,
Potts & Bernstein, attorneys for !
Lewis, sent a member Of J
their firm to New Orleans, and !.
the attorney sought out Chief /
Justice Breaux, and advised him
Of what Judge Hall had said. !,
Breaux was reluctant to :
accept this statement, but in s
order to render the discharge of {
Lewis on his second trial certain. s
&a 4E - - -&-MlL