The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-12-04
BY MRS. HELEN c. ELLENDER
Written for United Press

HOUMA, La, Dec. ALLEN j.
Ellender has been preparing him.
self for the office of governor of
Louisiana, but the assassination OF
Senator Long changed his political
destiny overnight.
Longs powerful machine was
buried beneath the dust of polit-
ical aspirants scrambling for the
most advantageous places. For a
time it appeared as if the chance
had now come, when Ellender
could be pushed aside entirely be-
cause he was too shocked by his
friends death to defend himself.
Longs statement uttered 10
minutes before he was slain, that
Ellender, "the boy from down the
bayou" would be the next COVER
nor was forgotten Immediately. A
dark horse was run into the hal
ter, and Gov. o. X. Allen announc-
ed his intention of taking the
place left vacant in the senate.
1t was then that BLENDERS
fighting spirit was revived, with
the result that he was elected
senator on the Long ticket with a
majority unprecedented in Louis
lana elections.
Ellender will take his seat in
the senate with simple but clear
conception of the big issues of the
day as he sees them. 1t is his be-
lief that the federal government
should assume the full responsible
ity for the payment of old age
pensions, to lessen the burden i'm
posed on the poorer states operat-
ing under the present law. on q
$3.50 basis.
He will advocate the subdivision
of farm lands controlled by the
Federal Land bank an dother gov.
ernmental agencies into small
farms which can be leased or sold
on convenient terms.
Ellender was born on n sugar
plantation in Montegut, l6 miles
south of the City of Houma on
September "a, 1891. He led the
life of any country boy, but un-
like most walking four miles each
day to attend the village school.
AT 10 he was weighing sugarcane
three out of the eight months
school term and was riding an old
mule back and forth to little
private school to make up his
grades at the close of the sugar
grinding season.
At 81 he received his MA. and
LIB. degrees from Tulane uni
verSity.
His political career began few
months after graduation, when he
was appointed city attorney of
Houma. He suffered his first po-
litical defeat, when as Democrat,
he lost in his race for district at
torney to a Bull Moose candidate,
then the dominant political party
in South Louisiana. But five years
later he was elected member of
the state constitutional conven-
ton.
The experience gained from his
association spurred on his deter
mination to obtain place Of pow
or. from which his influence
cmould be made to rebound to the
benefit of the masses.
With this ambition in mind, he
became q member Of the Louisiana
house of representatives in 1924.
The impelling figure of Huey
P. Long, q man fighting his way
alone into the front line, had al
ready appeared on the horizon,
Although Ellender did not support
Long in his first unsuccessful race
for governor, or his subsequent
victory four years later, he read
lily recognized in him a sincerity
in his defense of thu poor, and ne
became one Of his most ioyal
allies.
Ellender managed Longs sena-
torial campaign, as well as those
of o. X. Allen who followed Long
as governor, and John Overton
for the senate, and acted as coun.
sci when federal investigation OF
fraud charges were made against
Overton, who had been elected on
the Long ticket. :,
When Ellender is not engaged
in farming or politics. he is tour
ing the country with Mrs; Eiiena-
er and q young son, or taxes 'ii'ie