Evening star., 1934-02-15
NEW PLEAS MADE
FOR LONG CUSTER
Senate Subcommittee Con-
SiderS Later Petitions Also
Aimed at 0Verton.
~ the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A block of new petitions for the
ousting of Senators Long and Overton
of Louisiana were in the hands of a
subcommittee of the Senate Elections
Committee today.
The petitions, together with some
other documents pertaining to the
Long-Overton case. were turned over
to the subcommittee for examination
yesterday. Chairman George said the
subcommittee had been instructed by
the committee. meeting in executive
session, to determine what, if any,
questions presented should be con-
Sidered by the full committee and the
Senate"
New documents filed yesterday in
cluded one signed by Mrs. Hilda
Phelps Hammond as chairman of the
Women's Committee of Louisiana,
which charged Long with being the
head of a corrupt political machine"
and Overton with permitting himself
to be supported for election by the
Long organization.
Parker Also Present.
Other petitioners present besides
Mrs. Hammond included Mrs. Ruffin
q. Pleasant, wife of a former Louisi-
ana Governor, and John NJ. Parker.
another former Louisiana Governor.
Some of the petitions, including that
Of Parker have not been ruled on BY
the Senate Judiciary Committee as
to whether they are privileged matter
and receivable by the Vice President.
They were filed year ago at which
time Long challenged their receiv-
ability
The Elections Committee has asked
the Judiciary Committee to report on
the petitions, George stating that
until it is determined whether they
are privileged, his committee will con-
slider them only in executive session.
The Judiciary Committee expects to
report to the Senate on the chal-
lenged petitions soon.
Mrs. Hammond's brief was fled by
her counsel Gen. Samuel T. Ansell,
who also was counsel for the Connally
Committee. which last year investi-
gated Overton'S election. This COM
mltteeS report condemned Louisiana
election practices. but was without
authority to question Overton's right
to his Senate seat.
Charges Expenses Not Listed.
The Hammond brief charged that
no record Of expenses was kept in the
Overton campaign, which it said was
directed by Long, although 0verton
had said he was his sole campaign
manager.
The brief further charged that
State employees salaries were assessed
to raise campaign funds. and funds
spent were in excess of Sl00O 900. It
also was charged that dummy" can
didates were employed to aid Over
tons election and that in South
louisiana many thousands of false
registrations were placed on the reg
aStratiOn rolls.
Mrs. Hammond issued the follow
Sng statement today:
L fled yesterday with the United
States Senate, on behalf of the Wom-
ems Committee of Louisiana. definite
and specific charges against Senator
Long and against Senator Overton. |
and I appeared before the Privileges |
and Elections Committee with Gen. !
Samuel T. Ansell and Mr.. John G. |
Holland as counsel for our committee.
Senator Long objected to our right of
counsel of our own choosing. thereby
asserting his right to control the Sc
lection of our counsel.
Ridicules Suggestion.
"Who ever heard of a defendant
controlling the selection of plaintiffs
counsel? Naturally Senator Long
fears the appearance of our counsel
because he knows, as we know, that
Gen. Ansell and Mr.. Holland are the
only men who are thoroughly familiar
with his conspiracy of fraud and cor
Tuption and that they can and will
expose to the American people SEN
ator Longs total unfitness to sit in
the Senate Of the United States.
We have today demanded of the
Privileges and Election Committee.
now considering our charges, the right !
TO be heard in open session with coun-
Sci OF our own choosing on the uues-
tlon OF our right to appear generally |
with counsel of our own choosing in !
all matters relating to the charges
which We have filed. 1 say de- |
manded' in no sense of diScourtesv. |
but because we believe that Ameri- !
can citizens should fearleSsly assert |
a fundamental American right when
ever it is in danger of being denied i
them"
The committee first went into execu-
tive session with Long, Overton and
the petitioners present and news
paper men excluded. After receiving
the new petitions and amendments to !
old ones, the committee asked all nom
members to leave.