The Washington herald., 1922-11-22
libel 0IlQus|ln''
| HJlED N SENATE
Rsss1ts Papers Charge that
Law Has Been Set
Aside by Kan.
GOVERNOR PARKER LEAVES
Senior Scion Declares Mer
Rouge Outrage Isolated
One in Small Town.
GOVERNOR PARKER LEAVES
Univsru.i s~vscs.

Publication OF statements at2
trfbuted to Governor Parker. lof
Louisiana. charging a reign Of Dr.
ganized crime and iawlessness m
that State. was resented Vigorous
ly by Joseph E Ransdell, Senior
Louisiana Senator. In the Senate
yesterday.
Rising to q point Of personal
privilege. Senator Ransdeu read
portions Of the article and fayed
the newspaper for printing Il. de-
clartng such statements TO be
vicious and untrue. He denied con
ditions such as were PICTURED in
the article exist IN Louisiana or
that the orderly. processes OF law
have been set aside by the Ku Klux
Klan.
LIBEL ON STATE.
After reading extracts from the
publication. the Senator added:
II the statements these
articles were true. the plight of
my State would be sad Indeed.
But they are very far from the
truth. / cannot conceive how
such sweeping libelous statements
In regard TO an entire Southern
State could have been given even
ordinary publicity in any rep
utable newspaper. r
cannot believe the Post set
out del berately TO destroy the
good name Of Louisiana. but un-
less immed ate retraction Is made
by IL in the same CONSPICUOUS wav
that the libel was uttered. the ef-
II
| furious
have Travelled over several
parts of Lou siana during the past
/, six weeks Condit' 'ons seemed to
be normal everywhere: the courts
were functioning as ueual. there
was no general unrest. the press
was free on all subjects. includ-
ing the Ku Klux Klan-
] heard much comment about
the Mer Rouge outrage. which
probably resulted in the murder
Of two men under dastardly cir
1 cumr-ances. and gossip connected
| individual members og the klan
with this crime. This deplorable
affair was an isolated one in
thinlv ,opulated community and
Il cost but two human lives. No
one has been tried for IL Vet. but
I am assured that evidence is
being secured and when Obtained
the murderers will be brought 10
| Justice
RECALLS OTHER RIOTS. =
This Mer Rouge crime pelIs
into significance when cornpareS
to the race riots Of 1920 m Chi
caro-, the West Virginia m'ners
civil war OF 1921. and the HTrrtn.
H., Wholesale murder of helpless
men who wished to work. only
a few months ago.
And vet when a crime s-uau IN
comparison with those Of West
! Virginia and Illinois occurs N one
OF the sixty-four parishes Of Louisi-
ana, the whole State, with is near
| ly 1000, 900 people. is held up TO
scorn before mankind. The state
ments in the Post are vicious and
untrue.
Senator David I. ws'sh ~ Hsassa-
chusetts. read letters exchanged b.
tween Governor Parker and Joseph
! Morn,ngstar of New Yor',. war
veterafi. concerning the murder Of
Fillmore Watt Daniel. also an ex-
service man. in Morehouse parish.
Louisiana. Daniel is one of the two
men referred to by Senator Ransdell.
GAVE PARKER LEAVES.
Governor Parker, writing to Morn
/, ingstar urged the ex-service men TO
write him letters on the subject.
Which he said he would present II
the authorities in Washington.
| Governor Parker lef' last nioht
for New Orleans without making
further comment on the khan.