St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-07-27

N"tupcEdtIOn
Thomas has introduced into this
sensational campaign inevitably
means.
The only matters on which men
ought to differ now with any vigor
are matters of method and policy in
furthering the nations great mission
in France. The fewer u differences
on these matters, the geater win be
our general efficiency. We should
not divide even on war measures
unless we regard them as highly Inn
~portant. and we should not quarrel
over them unless ouE differences are
fundamental and irreconcilable. To
spread a general bicker with a fab
ric of Misrepresentation having
nothing better than obvious personal
spite for an impulse, is an especially
unhappy enterprise for a politician
TO engage in at this coniuncture.
This is why we have been glad
that we had so little politics of
any sort, and why we had hoped that
we would have the least possible
controversy over the few offices soon
to be filled. Preferences muct be
urged in war as in peace, and rea-
sons given. But those reasons
should bear the stamp of conviction,
the appearance Of sense. They
should be free from suspicion OF
obvious pettiness and insincerity.
We had hoped, being of this
mind, that Mr.. Thomas entirely IN
founded personal and political mis-
representations against Mr.. Hall
would pass with scant notice to
which their character entities them,
if hey were ignored. We did not
comment on them for that reason.
Judge Halls disdain of them was
right. We cannot, however, blame
mr. Gelbke or any other friend of
Mr.. Hall, for the natural Indignation
that any honest man in that relation
would feel under the p~rovocation Mr..
Thomas has given, apparently with
the idea of furthering Mr.. Gays n
didacy.
Let us a right here that Mr.. Gay
should not be held to account for
Mr.. Thomas unfortunate vagaries IN
his behalf. Whatever may be Mr..
Gays merits or dement's, he has i'm
pressed us as a man with better
taste. sounder judgment, and higher
caliber than the authorship of these
petty ISLANDERS and yituperatlon
would betoken.
DIR. Gelbke addressed himself only
to two of the numeous m1srepresen-
~tations in the peculiar and ill-timed
document of MI. Thomas. The first
was that Mr.. Hall al Governor was
recklessly extravagant with the pub
lie money.
The Doctor showed out of the
mouth Of the man himself-Thomas-
that the administration of the Gov
ernor and his colleagues saved the
people Of Louisiana about 100000,
in Mr.. Halls very first legislative
term alone. Thomas proclaimed it
himself. from the Speakers rostrum,
and gave the items of the account.
He added that in all other respects
that first session alone had redeemed
almost entirely all the pledges Of the
Coed Government Leagues platform,
on which Mr.. Hall was elected.
Thomas told the truth that day and
quoted the records to show it. That
record, and the record of his own
words, rise to destroy him now in
the eyes Of citizens who like fair
play at all times and believe that this
time OF all others is not for the petty
~indecencies Of low politics.
DR.. Gelbke likewise shows that to
swell the false total of Mr.. Halls
"extrayagancies" that Mr.. Thomas
padded the account with penitentiary
losses resulting from acts of God like
the 1912 floods-a division Of the
States business for which Mr.. Hall
was not accountable anyhow. 1t
seems that Mr.. Thomas has likewise
charged against MI. Hall the ex-
penses of the famous Epicurean Cir
Gle known as the probe Commits
| sion" This, as all of recall, was TO-
mented by Thomas himself and a
few other select enemies of Governor
Hall. with a view of proving him a
criminal. Everybody also recalls
that it failed utterly in that purpose,
that it commended Mr.. Hall, but the
more strongly to the esteem of good
citizens, and demonstrated nothing
at all but the spleen of its origina-
tors and the magnificent capacity of
its majority members for the richest
food of Royal streets ablest artists.
1t is worth noting that Mr.. Gays
candidacy to date is sponsored. es-
poused and managed by none save