The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-03

was Dlndlng chains upon the cleo
torate at Senator Longs bidding,
has relaxed.
New Orleans again sWarms out to
us race track, and dances into the
nig.-t, in the gay and nonchalant
fashion which has earned the city
an international reputation for
gracious living and cordial hospital
ity.
Machine Still Operates
But the Long influence still exists.
His machine did not fly to pieces
at his death 1t swept triumph
antly through the recent election
and is in the saddle in the state.
Still on the statute book are the
laws Huey rushed through the rub
ber-stamp legislature like so many
hand bills.
But everybody here seems salts
fed that the new nominal head of
the Long machine, Gov. -elect Rich
ard w. Dick) Leche, who assumes
ONCE in May, has no aspirations for
1ron-handed rule. AS matter of
fact, no one among the Long lead
ers has his over weening ambition
nor his political wizardry, his show
manship, his lust for power, his abil-
ity to seize power and hold it.
Likewise, the Long leaders will not
continue the feud with Jim Farley
and the National Administration
since none of them is nationally
ambitious. A rapprochement is al
ready evident in negotiations on
patronage.
A delegation pledged to President
Roosevelt is expected to go to the
Philadelphia convention.
Maestri Is Real Power
The real successor to Huey, the
real power behind the throne now in
Louisiana, is Robert S. Maestri, con-
Servation commissioner and one of
the late Senator's henchmen. 1t was
he who held the machine together
after the Senator's death by COM
promising conflicting elements, by
checking the attempted coup of the
Rev. Gerald l.. K. Smith, the
share the-wealth" evangelist who
Sought to beat the gun by putting
forward James A. Noe for Governor
and Wade Martin for United States
Senator. Mr.. Maestri rejected both.
Mr.. Noe, former Lieutenant Gov
ernor, succeeded to the governorship
until May to complete the term of
Gov. o. K. Allen, who resigned to
rOt11YoIata the 10 70 Capo tor,c tar,,, a
Washington. When Mr.. Allen died,
Mrs. Long was named to the Senate
until next January. She will be sue
ceeded by Allen j. Ellender, former
Speaker Of the House, who has been
elected for the siX-year term.
Governor Elect Is Available
Mr. Maestri has been i'll and the
future OF the Long machine may
depend on the seriousness of his
malady.
dick Leche, who was picked by
Bob Maestri, is big, amiable, ST.
Bernard-dog sort of fellow, whose
political rise has been by the passive
route. Defeated for the legislature
from his home ward in New Orleans
in his only previous bid for office, he
entered politics as a worker at Long
headquarters here, was rewarded by
being made secretary to the late
Gov. Allen, and subsequently was
appointed to the State Court of APP
peals.
He was chosen as gubernatorial
candidate because he was not mixed
up in the partisan warfare.
No one will know Just what are
the plans of the incoming Governor
and of the Long machine until the
legislature meets in May. The Long
element is more firmly entrenched
than ever in the legislature.
Some Laws to Be Repealed
The Governor ELECT has promised
publicly to seek repeal of the Long
law which put the appointment of
school teachers in the Governors
hands and to restore this authority
to the county boards of education.
Likewise he says he will recommend
repeal Of the statute which gives
the state control over New Orleans
finances.
But he has said nothing about
the many other statutes imposed by
the late Senator, such as the cleo
ton laws and those giving the Gov
ernor power to appoint local police
and fire department officials.
Laws For Poor to Be Kept
There is one substantial heritage
the late Senator left to his state
These are the laws designed to i'm
prove the lot of the poorer classes
-nch as the homestead exemption
ct, free school books, reduced taxes
y the farmer. They will be kept,
the anti-Long candidates were
I reed to indorse them in the recent
= slmpaign. They even tried to go the
Ipng people one better by Offering
f&e writing tablets and pencils for
the school kids.
1Huey's law repeating the poll tax
was a factor in the recent election,
since 10000 persons who had not
voted before-being unable to afford
the 81 poll tax-went to the polls.
They voted the Long ticket.
But the Senator's masterpiece. his
J "Share- the-Wealth" movement, ap-
parentiy is doomed as a national
issue.
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