The Caucasian., 1912-07-30

timidatiOe-Ths Eassaisss Rmss.
The Times 1semHrst Of DULY -
Gays: Men who understand ttks game
OF practical pOlitiss ar. watching
with interest fVr alSs ,ss'se loot D
liquoC interests may Nakr in con
0eclioD win O. VrrseNl city tigs.
FOr tAe first siINe 10 ycsrs tAe 50
Coon element ~ New OIIeaRs is con
fronteA with . uNsHN sItua~IoN
Never before WithiN ths experience"
Of . majority ~ ~ M"u N&r are
now eaking an intte"sI d. the NoIIIl-
cal same &as theIv Scer = Governor
az BatoN Rouge uHIrapNss hy
trins influences - poIaicAI "siga
/ lion % the ~arA leaders ~ New %
CLEANS. That sisuasioN has Vrosss, - a
problem Uew I" ~" lsu"s interests,
and q 10 causing ehs leaders Il st"~s
interests 70 DO . great - U ~
ri@ls thinking al She present tllUp.
The saloon peopI" haVr heretofore
been the very bone and sinrW Of H.
ring. They have been caIIrt lIVNn
for contributions whenever cam
piagn rolled around. ami N"tN""n
elections they have been kept in lin"
with the threat f being "clOs'd mp
or otherwise regulated by the polio"
if they gave any signs of indcpcnd-
e0ce in politics. This has always
served to keep majority OF tl"
liquor people within the ranks OF
the organization, however much
they may have secretly longed to be
relieved of the leeches and the cN-
actions of the ring.
And when the political history Of
this State is recalled. these people
may be excused for having always
felt terror stricken when the city
organization threatened. and for
having literally contributed when
the hat was passed around on the
eve of campaign.
It is a safe assertion that maiOr-
ity of the men who now take an ac-
tive part in public affairs do not re
call the time when different cOndi-
tions prevailed Harking back to the
administration of Gov. S. ID. McEn-
cry thirty years ago, they remember
that matters affecting the city OF
New Orleans, both as regards pat
rOnage and policy, were left largely
to the ward leaders TO settle. The
bosses of that day not only dOmlnat-
ed the city, but exerted powerful
influence in the affairs of the State
at convention times, and matters al,
fecting New Orleans were left to
them as result of prediction
agreement.
The success of General Nichols,
who succeeded Governor McEnery
was made possible only by division
in the ranks of the city leaders, and
when that old soldier and statesman
succeeded to The gOvernorship il
meant, to great extent, so far as
the city of New Orleans was con
cerned, the passing of power from
one set of ward~leaders to another
The power of the State admlnlStra
tiOnWas entrusted to certain OF the
city leaders who enjoyed the conf
dence of the Governor.
Then came the lottery fight. That
year the city ring was lined up
squarely on the losing side, just as
in the primary last January. But
there was this striking difference in
the result: Governor Hall went into
office with enough friendly members
of the General Assembly from the
country parishes to put through a
programme of reform legislation ir-
respective of the wishes Of the New
Orleans ring, while Governor Foster
when finally quieted in his seat
found that the city ring and its
country allies absolutely controlled
the Legislature. They could either
pass or defeat any legislation they
saw fit, and in this extremity the
executive was under the compulsior
of reaching a working agreement
with the ring. --..
Governor Heard, Governor Blan
chard and Governor Sanders were
each in turn elected through the as.
sistance of the city leaders, and al
went into office more or less indebt
ed to the city ring. g ~~.
But when the State campaign
opened last year the ward leaders
for the first time, failed TO pick the
winner. All but one of them support
ed their fellow boss, John 7. Michel
and the solitary exception cast his
fortunes with DR.. Aswell, and, will
the other sixteen, went down to de
feat.
; Governor Hall is the first execu