The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-09-10
By JAMES M. THOMPSON


The death of Senator Huey P.
Long ends the career Of the most
extraordinary man whom I have
known or known of in American
public life.
Outside Louisiana it has been
almost impossible to convey an
understanding of what he has
done in the State to change the
traditional separation of the jul
dicial executive and legislative
functions of government whereby
the liberties of the peoples of the
American States, and of the Amer
lean union, have been preserved.
In doing this Long became die
tator of Louisiana.
Even in Louisiana what Long
did in less than a period OF 10
years seemed so incredible that
It was only partly understood by
many of our people.
Underestimate Him
Along with many others who
opposed Long for the various Of
fices he sought, I for many years
underestimate his real abilities.
Finally I came to realize that
he possessed almost unique ca
pacity for sustained labor, with an
incredibly rapid and acute men,
tally. The tragedy of his life and
of his public career is to be found
in his Unsuitable seeking for per-
CAno1 fhon
any one man should possess: and
his failure to use that power for
proper public ends.
Long used power as ruthleSSly
as any man who ever sought to
set himself up as a dictator and
Long became a dictator more SUI
preme in his control of the sub
stance of power over Louisiana
than is MuSsolini in Italy or Hit
Ter in Germany.
For over a year past Long has
been putting laws on the statute
books of Louisiana which seemed
to make it impossible to over
throw his dictatorship except by
revolution. I have been one of
those who believed that in some
way that dictatorship would have
been overthroWn in next years
elections; that its very excuses
would help the people destroy it.
In New Orleans, where I know
conditions best, Long has never
had anything but minority fol
lowing. In our last mayorality
contest, for example, his candi-
date mustered little over Is per
cent of the vote. Five out of six
outstate Congressional districts in
Louisiana are even now in the
hands of his opposition.
Both the form and substance of
representative American govern
ment, the rights and liberties Of
the people of Louisiana, can be re-
stored if the people who oppose
the Long machine will stand to-
gether and work together. Divi-
sion among Longs opponents put
him in power and kept him in
power.
BIOOdshed FOreseen
It has required great restraint
to continue to stand for and ad-
vocate law and order in Louisiana
under the conditions of the Long
dictatorship. Every good citizen
must oppose and deplore the sub
stitution of bullets for ballots in
the settlement of . political dis
putes, however violent. Yet it is
true that thoughtful citizens in
Louisiana have dreaded for years
the shedding not Of the blood of
two men, but the possible she'd
ding of the blood Of hundreds or
of thousands before the Louisiana
dictatorship reached its end.
To the sorrowing family of the
late Senator, to Mrs. Long and her
children, and to the family of DR..
Weiss, and to the personal friends
of the two dead men, 1 extend by
sincere sympathy.
Longs death, viewed from its
public effect, should give Louisiana
a political breathing spell. The
laws which he enacted, to buttress
and extend his dictatorship, must
be repealed. Independent, repre-
sentative men must be put in
places of power by the people and
then, and only then. will there be
peace in Louisiana, with the State
restored to it's right place in the
Union.