The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-11-27
SAY LOUISIANA
QUIZ
NOW IMMINENT
Congressional Efe ctio n
Committee Chairman to
Study" Situation
By EARL B. STEELE
Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

united ffeSs ohah correspondent
NEW ORLEANS, La, Nov. 27.
( GUP} A congressional inyestiga-
] ton of Louisiana politics is immi-
nent. ....... .-....
Enemies of the Huey Long po-
, litical machine, anticipating fraud
! in the January. p primary, ap-
pealed to Washington. They were
informed by Rep. William j. Gran
field, Dem. Mass, chairman of
the congressional elections COM
mittee, that the situation would DE
studied and acted upon within
two weeks.
The primary is to decide wheth-
err the Long machine stays in pow
er another four years, or where
the whole system of bossism IS
abolished. 1t is combined state
/ and national election for Louisi-
ana, where only Democrats run
for office. Eight seats in the
house of representatives and two
, i'm the U. s. senate are at stake,
along with all major state offices.
The bone of contention is one
! of Longs dictatorial laws that en-
ables the machine to command the
polls-appoint all ballot-counters,
watchers and policemen for cleo
! ton day. Anti-Long candidates
demand some representation in the
voting booths, to guard against it,
Irregularities, and they have car
ried the fight to congress.
Eleven weeks after the assassi
nation of Huey Long, the machine
through which he ruled Louisiana
was still intact, dominated by q
dozen bosses, with the meek and
white-haired Gov. o. X. Allen pre-
siding as titular leader, and the
swart. chunky Robert L. Maestri,
commissioner of conservation and
administrator of New Orleans po-
lice, welding a powerful influence
from the background.
The machine is out to retain
every office in the next election.
Appellate Judge Richard W. Lechee
is candidate for governor; Earl
Long, Huey's younger brother, for
lieutenant governor: Gov. Allen
for Longs unexpired senate term,
and Allen Ellender speaker of the
house, for the full six-year senate
term.
Anti-Long groups are united m
complete harmony behind single
ticket, headed by Congressman
Cleveland Dear for governor and
CONGRESSMAN John n. Sandlln Tor
the six-year senate term. They Will
not compete for the qneXplred
senate term.
The machine promises to carry
on the work of our martyred leau-
err" The opponents would re
store home rule" by repeating the
dictatorship laws. The chief issue
in every political argument IS
whether Longs assassination was
plotted by political enemies, as MS
friends say it was, or Whether IL
was the "act of an outraged nd!-
yidual" as is claimed by all anu
Long men. I +uo
Governor Allen announced TWO
weeks ago that both sides "oGIu
he represented at the polls. He
refused to say how that would De
accomplished, and the home RUE
candidates contradicted mn'. 80
The election law provides that
Gov Allen shall appoint boards o.
election supervisors in every par
ish. These supervisors name an
TEN commissioners and watchers DIT
each polling place and, IN adaI1
ton, may employ as many speelaS
policemen as they wish, to guard
the polls at community expense
Then, the governor gets TO ap-
prove all commissioners, Watchers
and policemen whom the superVls-
ors appoint. ~,,,
State Representative Norman
Bauer. who is managing the Dear
Sandlin campaign, warned Cover
nor Allen that congress may re-
fuse to seat anyone elected unuer
such circumstances. c,
Governor Allen and Speaker
E1Iender. both of whom are eandi-
dates for the United States sen
ate materially aided in placing OF
onisiana's statute books, this law
which is intended to disfranchIse
the white men and women. Inc
senate has on several occasions re-
fused to seat men elected by leSs
renrehensibIe means" Bauer sald'