The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-11-10
HUEY LONG FREE AFTER
PAYING One DOLLAR

Railroad Commissioner Huey P.
Long, who for the past week has been
on trial, charged with having libeled
Governor John NJ. Parker, was free
man on Tuesday night, after having
paid fine of one dollar. According
to account of the trial in the daily
press Long was found guilty purely on
technical grounds on both indictments
and then given sentence OF 80 days
in the parish prison at Baton Rouge
Oh one indictment, which was sus-
pended by the judge, and on the second
indictment he was fined one dollar,
! which was promptly paid by Commits
sioner Long. The total Of the commits
sioner's damage being only one dollar.
Due to the fact that the court issued
a verdict of guilty only on the techni-
calities developed in the case, Long s
friends feel that he has won q
sweeping victory.
In finding the commissioner guilty,
Judge Brunot delivered an oral de-
cision from the bench, passing up en-
tirely the bulk of the evidence and not
touching upon those points which have
! occupied the main time of the trial
He made no mention Of the contention
that the Standard Oil company had
used it's influence both in the legisla
ture anu the convention to dictate Its
legislation. and found the commission
er guilty on the ground that he had Ii
beled the governor in charging that thu
appointment of DR.. W. W. Leake wa
due to corporate control, and that tn
state patronage had been distributed
in a reckless effort to maintain cor
porate control Of the state"
All during the trial the main reason
for the filing of the indictments by tn
governor were advoided, and technical
tiles and side issues consumed the tim
! devoted to the trial, and so far as W
can learn from printed reports Of tn
affair the charges made by Lon
against the governor are just as ou
standing today as they were before tn
trial began.
We quote the following taken fro1
: the Shreveport Times, which is POI
ton from Judge Palmer's argument
the defense Of Commissioner Long:
"The district attorney has said NJ
I Parker has always fought fairly" sal
I Judge Palmer. "Now your honor, tn
) is not part of this record and am II
Z the moment going to step outside
) this record to answer it. do not a
Z nit that Mr.. Parker has always fougl
! fairly for there is one period IN NJ
y Parker's life which can never forge
Z "Some years ago, when this wor
5 was aflame with war, young NOR
Z Louisianian, who did not have to 6
: stepped out Of his private life, ga
! up his business, put aside his own
: fairs, told his family goodbye al
:; sailed the high seas to fight for b
2 country. He did not actually get IN
) the fighting but that matters not
Z he stood ready to lay down MS me-
Z make the supreme sacrifice at the Ct
= : of his country. When this young M
!" returned, he dared to offer hims'
!. for the governorship Of this great sta
which We all love so we'll. Mr.. Park
- was the candidate against him. .
Il I'm that campaign Mr.. PARK
charged that this young North LOU
.. ianian was being supported by t
New Orleans ring and its vice elemen
~ He accused that ring OF being resp(
d. sible for all the crimes and vices
e. the decalogue. / do not defend II
ID ring I do not know whether tn
y. charges were true or not. But !
al know that John NJ. Parker sought
flee on the infamous charge that t
r. young North Louisianian would be G
% trolled in office by a vice ring IN n
Orleans. If that is fighting fairly u
nd I am done. l did not bring this Il
q the record, the district attorney
ng and l am answering it."