Evening star., 1939-06-25
Another Long in Louisiana;
Will the Machine Survive?
Eurl's Succession
And Prospects Bring
Mutterines From Foes
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
BATON ROUGE, La, June a.
Another fiercely ambitious Long,
Earl K. Long, 43-year-old Lieuten-
ant Governor and brother of the late
Senator Huey P. Long, will claim the
Louisiana governorship next week
Npon resignation OF Gov. Richard
W. Leche.
Mr.. Long greeted calmly an
Aouncement of his pending advance
Aent into the highly embellished
Offices of the skyscraper capitol
which Huey built. But his elevation
was heralded with predictions of a
stormy career which might rival in
the spectacular that of his brother.
Huey's word was the law, the
State constitution Notwithstanding.
He ruled the political domain of
Louisiana with an iron hand from
the time he beat impeachment
charges while Governor in 1929 until
he was felled by bullet in Sep
tember, 1885.
Earl Long to Run Next Year.
Although he slipped into the Gov
ernor's chair without the fanfare
and fighting of an election this time,
Earl Long already has announced
his determination to gain voter ap-
proval in the Democratic primary
Of January, 1910.
With six months as chief execu-
tive in which to fortify his position
as titular head of the party, Mr..
Long was expected to demand-and
probably receive-endorsem In
the administration caucus.
Mr. Long has indicated belief that
Mayor Robert Maestri, head of the
powerful New Orleans organization,
would support his candidacy
although Mayor Maestri has made
no public announcement of pref
erence.
With New Orleans support and
administration endorsement, Mr..
Long probably would be a heavy
favorite, but should encounter
enough opposition to call forth the
campaigning vigor he already has
evidenced. State Senator James A.
Noe and State Treasurer A. P. Tug
we'll already have tossed their hats
into the ring for the gubernatorial
nomination. tantamount to election
in one-party Louisiana.
Dynasty Hinges on Result.
The results of this ballot box test
are expected to foretell whether the
Long dynasty will go forward as a
strongly unified force under Earl
Longs direction or whether it will
fall prey to jealous dissension.
Mr.. Long left no doubt of his
determination to carry on the decade
OF work of the Huey Long machine
by his statement that he was
pleased at my succession to the
governorship." coupled with the
added assertion that he intended to
"carry on the fine work that has
been done in the past 10 years under
my brother, Huey P. Long, the late)
Gov. o. X. Allen and Richard w.
Leche."
Whether the Lieutenant Governor
under Mr.. Leche will outdo Huey
IN machine politics remained to be
seen, but the first pattern he cut
while serving as Governor during a
recent recuperation trip Mr.. Leche
made to Texas after his first illness
was a 'Huey Long flourish"
Threatened to Call Out Guard.
Long threatened to call out the
National Guard to insure peace in a
strike Of strawberry farmers, Just
as Huey did when he wanted to oust
an enemy from Office or seize the
registration books from his political
enemies.
Internal dissension almost wrecked
the perfectly functioning machine
In 1886 when underling heirs, dead
locked in vicious fight for guber-
Material backing, were temporarily
unified behind compromise candi-
date, Mr.. Leche, who was elected.
That "appeasement" left virtually
all the lieutenants unsatisfied. and
at least one. James A. Noe, broke
away entirely. Since then the ad-
ministration has fired from her job
as State supervisor of public funds
Mrs. Alice Lee Grosjean, once Long S
private secretary and holder of va
rious State jobs under him. The
purge" has also touched lesser
figures Of the old regime.
Longs Support Doubtful.
Most outspoken of the hopefuls
Is 1t. Gov. Long. Denied backing
IN the 1895 election, he now claims
he was promised the governorship
in 1910.
While prospective candidates were
looking to Leche as titular leader
OF the party, uncertainty existed
whether Mr.. Long could muster the
support of the machine. His Our
Next Governor" placards were
promptly torn down in New Or
leans by police in the interest of
Identification, and he lacks much of
the color OF his famous brother; but
back OF him comes Huey's son Rus
sell, now only 20, but with much
political acumen.
Young Russell, who has just grad
uated from Louisiana State Uni
versity, the school his father loved.
"leIe he leu campus pOlltlcS, treat
ed the State to the best Snowman
ship since Huey, himself, led the
fanfare.
Russell, who looks, thinks, talks
and acts like his father, must fin
ish law school and grow older be-
fore he can step into the State
political picture effectively.
Burden Now Rests on Earl.
The burden of carrying forward
the dynasty, therefore. rests on
Earl. who is titular head of the
family.
Publicly contesting Earl's claims
Is Wade O. Martin, chairman of
the Louisiana Public Service Com
mission, who was shunted aside in
che 1885 caucus. A movement also