Evening star., 1934-05-03
0VERTON. URGES
ANSE[L'S CUSTER
Would Bar Latter as Coun-
sci in Proposed Move
Against Himself.
Continued From First Page.)

! unfair.
Asks Inquiry Be Dropped.
Overton's motion came at the con-
clusion of an argument made by the
Louisiana Senator in an effort to con-
vince the committee that it should
not proceed with an investigation of
the 1882 election. as demanded by the
Women's Committee Of Louisiana
headed by Mrs. Hilda Phelps Ham,
mond. In his statement to the COM
mittee, Senator Overton contended
the charges brought by the Women's
Committee had already been thor
oughly investigated by the Special
Campaign Committee of the Senate.
He denied emphatically that he had
been connected with any fraud what
ever, If there was any fraud COM
mitted in connection with the election
in 1882
He told the committee he had made
no request for dummy candidates. ]"
He said there had been expended in
his campaign only about 900 which
had been contributed by IA or IS
friends. He denied he had benefited
by assessments levied for campaign
purposes on Louisiana State employees.
Fund Use Explained.
The fact that some $4,000 had
been raised from contributions by
State and municipal employees. Sen
ator Overton said, did not touch him.
He said only three such employees
testified before the Senate Campaign
Committee that they had contributed
to his campaign. Their testimony. he
said, had been refuted The money
contributed by the employees, he said.
had gone into the campaign for
President Roosevelt and not for him.
1T was conceded on all sides" 4"
Senator Overman said, that I would
be nominated for the Senate before
the primary was held. 1t was not
necessary that any large sum Of
money should be expended for me-"
Out of 100000 ballots cast in the
election. he said, only 498 had been
challenged after weeks of hearings.
OF these votes, only two were success
fully challenged, and he did not know
whether they were votes for himself
or for his opponent. They were votes
Of two women, both Of whom were i'll,
who were brought to the polls in an
automobile, and were allowed to mark
their ballots in the automobile in vio-
lation of the law
At this point Mrs Hammond, who
sat almost beside Senator Overman
burst into laughter, which she quick
ly checked, however.
Senator Overman said the charges
now brought against him we're born
of political venom. He declared the
| charge that the courts of Louisiana
had been dominated by the political
machine Of Senator Long was abso-
lutely false.
Overton First Witness.
Senator Overton OF Louisiana,
whose seat in the Senate the Wonen's
Committee of Louisiana declares should
be declared vacant along with that
of Senator Huey Long-was the first
witness heard today Senator Over
ton said he had understood the Sen
ate Committee would not go into a
rehearing of charges already investi-
gated by the Special Campaign Com
ing else for the committee to inveSti-
gate, since the charges brought by
the Women's Committee were identi-
cal with those submitted to the Cam
paign Committee.
Senator George, chairman of the
Privileges and Elections Committee
agreed with Senator Overton regard
ing the disinclination of the Com
mittee to go over ground already COW
cred. The chairman added. however,
that the Women's Committee, through
its counsel, Gen. Ansell. had promised
to give new and supplementary evi-
dence. and it was this that the COM
! mittee proposed to look into Senator
George was supported in this inter-
probation by Senator Hebert of
Rhode Island, member Of the COM
mittee.
Holds Issue Different.
Senator Hebert said, too, that the
Campaign Committee had not been
called upon to decide questions raised
in the earlier investigation, whereas
it was believed that the Privileges and
Elections Committee could and would
undertake such decision.
Why should this committee cover
the same ground which has been COW
cred by the Special Committee?" per-
sisted Senator Overton.
"The charges made here now are
identical in their purport as the old
charges before the other committee,
where pages upon pages of testimony
were taken. What am I to meet
here? Am I to consider these old
allegations relating to dummy candi-
dates. assessments on State en-
ployes for campaign funds, etc.?"
The Senate committee indicated that
it would hear him. So Senator Over
ton began a detailed discussion of
the election laws and practices In
Louisiana.
The dummy candidate" practice,
he said. had been in operation in
New orleans for more than a decade
He told the committee that the OBJ
lection to the dummy candidate lay
in the fact that number Of persons
could file as candidates who had no
intention of running for Office. II
these dummy candidates were friends
of a bona f1de candidate, they could
thus bring about the choice of cleo
ton commissioners all favorable to
their friend. This would give a dis
tinct advantage to one candidate.
Denies Using Practice.
II did not have a single dummy
candidate in the 1882 primary elec-
tion," said Senator Overton. Il made
no request for any candidate to file.
But on both sides in this contest there
were dummy candidates. There was
nothing could do or Senator Brous-
sard (his opponent) could do to pre-
vent the filing of dummy candidates
who had filed in the interest of other
candidates.
Senator Overton said that an ap-
peal against any dummy candidates
could be made to the Democratic
Party Committee and that committee
could deal drastically with them. He
insisted the Broussard people had not