The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-01-31
GOVERNOR HALL
MAKES STRONG TALK

Before the Jefferson Democratic
Club and their guests, numbering 1000
at Gretna, La, the other night, Gov
Luther E. Hall made the strongest
speech of his administration.
81 must confess" the Governor be.
gan, when several months ago l &C.
cepted an invitation to visit this Dem,
tocratic club did not expect such sn
outpouring as this. expected to come
up and sit around and talk. Various
matters of business forced me from
time to time to postpone my coming
until yesterday | found it possible to
arrange to come over tonight"
Referring to the presence of many
women in the audience, the Governor
said: God bless them for their es-
TEEN. | do not believe any man lives
in vain nor serves the people in vain
when he gains and retains the esteem
of the good women of the State"
Some years ago." he began, launch.
ing into politics, I'VE were in great
political battle in Louisiana. was
fighting on the side of the people for
free and independent government in
Louisiana. We had little financial
means, small organization and no pa.
tronage | had barely money enough
to pay my travelling expenses as I went
about the State preaching the doctrine
|of decent government. But | fought
the fight of the decent people of Lou
isiana, and | won"
His voice, rising as if uttering a
challenge, he detained:
''If there be any in Louisiana who
believe we can't do it again let them
step out on the battlefield and well
fight them until one or the other lies
dead. / know, though, whose body
will lie there lifeless.
81 came into Office as a Democrat.
| was not the candidate then of any
faction, but of the Democratic party,
and every man who had not stolen
the name of Democrat owed me his
loyal support and active cooperation.
| felt went to Baton Rouge as the
Governor of the whole people and the
candidate of the Democratic party,
and was therefore the legitimate and
only head of the Democratic party in
Louisiana.
This was my feeling, and if you will
follow my record down through the
months you will find | have tried to
consistently follow that course. l
have tried to be the Governor of the
whole people and to make this admin
istration credit to the people and the
party.
Notwithstanding this evident fact
that | was entitled to the support of
all Democrats, I found very soon a
mysterious atmosphere of opposition
1t seemed as though a secret cabal had
formed to tie the hands of the admin
istration and prevent it carrying out
it's pledges to the people.
"You understand that was practi.
cally alone at the outset In both
houses of the Legislature there was
mapority of men who had voted against
me in the primaries, and | found in
many parishes local governments that
had been antag0nistic to my candi-
dacy. But with all that it was hard to
locate the cause of the opposition at
first. But through the months things
have become cleared and to-day where
do we find this opposition to a Demo-
cratic administration? Where do we
find the leaders of that movement to
whom the little men, the seekers for
the glorious old days, turn for encour-
agement? We find them in the city of
New Orleans calling themselves regu-
lar Democrats.
Il am talking about men who are