Evening star., 1933-05-10
OVERTON, THE ORATOR, CALLED
u. S. SENATES MYSTERY MAN
Speculation Centers Now on
His Moves in Relation to
Long.
Expert on Flood Control Is
Fluent of Tongue, With
Keen Legal Mind.
BY GRACE HENDRICK EUsTIs.

0I GhACE hENDhlCA EUSTIS.
The heavy, black haired man who
sits in the middle Of the kindergarten
row in the august Senate chamber Is
to date, . mystery man.
His name Is John Overton Of Rapides
Parish and he Is the junior Senator from
Louisiana. He comes from q family
that has been internationally prominent
In national affairs since the War OF
1912. He himself has built up the
largest law practice in the central part
Of his State. So far, however, he Is
nationally known mainly through the
sensational hearings conducted by the
Senate Committee on Campaign Ex-
penditures In their investigation Of his
election.
This is a thick cloud for him to have
to break through, because what Is the
least attractive side of Louisiana politics
has been given such broad publicity
that any one on Huey Longs side is
covered with little tar, whether they
deserve it or not.
Future Moves Watched.
It Is debated question whether
Senator Overton will be able to move
independently in the Senate or whether
he Is "hog-tied" to the Kingflsh. Those
that know him say that there Is very
harmonious and Independent relation
ship between the two men, that Huey
Long reveres Mr.. Overton's gift for
oratory and detached legal point OF
view and that Mr.. Overton feels about
Huey Long very much as an uncle
might about q brilliant but uncertain
nephew.
The Senator was born In Marksville,
La, in 1875. He was given his B. A.
at the Louisiana State University at
Baton Rouge and also won a medal
for oratory. Then he studied law at
Tulane University and got his LID.
When he graduated he settled i2
Alexandria, hung out his shingle and
acquired splendid practice. Since
1912 he has worked spasmodically in
his silver tongue and made the keynote
addresses at the opening meetings for
Cows. Parker. Long and Allen. In 1916
he ran for United States Senate, but
though he carried two-thirds of the
parishes (the Louisiana name for
counties) in tri-cornered race, he lost
the city Of New Orleans, which con-
tains one-fifth Of the voting popula-
ton of the State. In 1881 he was
elected to I'LL the unexpired term OF
James B. Aswell in the Seventy second
Congress.
Overtons In Public Life.
Other members of the Overton
family have preceded him in public
life Gen. Walter Overton served as q
Representative from Louisiana in the
twenty-first Congress from March 4
1929 to March 3, 1881, and made q
name for himself by fighting for a
sugar tariff and urging the support
Of the many veto messages transmitted
to Congress by the fiery President
Jackson. He also had q great uncle
named Thomas Overton, who served as
second to Gen. jackson In his due
with Dickinson.
The Senator is q big, pleasant
hammered man, with a face furrowed
like a bulldogs and enormous slow
moving eyes. He is not back-slappine
politician, being for one thing toe
absent-minded to remember all the
necessary jimjams. He is respected ir
his State for his fluent oratory and hi
legal ability. He Is an expert on hooc
control. This became q problem to
him from the day when, still q student