Evening star., 1934-10-14
BY HERMAN B. DEUTSCH.

NCOpyElBnI, 1854, ~ NOrLn American
Newspaper Alliance, IneD
N YEW ORLEANS, October 49,
Throughout Louisiana, pre-
VI dictions are being made that,
4 in the Summer of 1886, there
will be national convention
of the Share-Our-W Wealth party and
that this convention will nominate
Huey P. Long for President of the
United States on share our wealth
platform. These predictions are based
on the fact that the first share-our-
wealth candidate to run for Office here
was handsomely elected this week,
and thereby preached what Longs
foes had labeled THE last stronghold
of popular government in this con-
monwealth," the State Supreme
Court.
Lieut.. Gov John B. Fournet, in
dorsed by Long and his share-our-
wealth societies, defeated Judge
Thomas F. Porter, an able jurist of
long service on the bench, for the
post of associate justice of the States
highest tribunal, in spite of the fact
that Fournet has never held any ju-
dicial position, has never tried an
important law case or practiced be-
yond the immediate neighborhood of
the small country town of Jennings,
which is his home.
But Fournet has been blindly loyal
to the Long political machine from
the first, and, as Speaker of the
House of Representatives in Baton
Rouge in 1929, unwittingly precipi-
tated the upheaval which almost
drove Long out of public life via the
Impeachment route, because, when
Long wanted the Legislature ad-
journed, Fournet declared the House
adjourned, though it obviously had
not voted to do so and proved 1t by
voting to remain in session when an
orderly ballot finally was forced.
Supreme Court Control
Many now declare quite openly
that, in electing Fournet, Long has
seized control of the only remaining
branch of government not yet under
his domination in the State. That he
controls the executive department
through Gov. Oscar K. Allen not even
his most jealous adherents attempt
to deny. Under oath before Senate
investigating committee, Senator
Longs brother declared: "I don't be-
lieve Oscar Allen has gone to movie
show without he got Huey's permis-
sion first, ever since he became Gov
ernor"
That he controls the legislative de-
partment is something now taken
completely for granted, since the two
sessions of Louisiana's law makers
this year, in which he mustered one
majority after another for bills CIV
ing him. and his political forces al
most unlimited power, winding up by
thinning 81 such measures through a
three-day special session little more
than a month ago; three days to
which two hours were tackled on be-
fore and behind, merely to fulfill
constitutional five-day requirement.
And now the Supreme Court.
Back in 1928, Long once boasted
publicly of his control over that body
and his ability virtually to dictate its
decisions on political matters. But
he over-reached himself, and, after
the impeachment and other viciSsi-
tudes the bark of his fortunes had to
weather, it was obvious that he did
not control the Supreme Court. Only
recently, within the past two months
that body handed down a number Of
four-to-two decisions against him.
There was one vacancy on the su-
preme bench, due to the retirement
of an associate justice. The term of
another associate justice expires on
January 1. Thus, two places were to
be voted on. In New Orleans, Archie
T. Higgins Oong) was opposed by
Walter L. Gleason 1anti-Long): in
the southwestern sextant of the State,
Justice Winston Overton Gong),
brother of United States Senator John
H. Overton, was being opposed by
Judge Thomas F. Porter (arti-Long) d.
Hot Primary Fight.
Senator Long had his hands full at
this primary, which was held on Sep
tember IL, for he had to concentrate
his machine efforts in New Orleans on
trying to elect his two Representa-
tives, a public service commissioner
and one justice of the Supreme Court,
against the strongly candi-
dates of the hostile city machine, cap
tanned by Mayor Semmes Walmsley.