Evening star., 1940-09-29
6. 0. P.Congressiona
Candidate Has Even
Chance in Louisiana
Stute Is RooseveIt's
But Sugar Planting
District Is ResentfuI
BY GEORGE HEALY. Jr.,


NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 2S.-Wen-
dell Willkie won't carry Louisiana,
but he may top the 51,16O votes Her
bert Hoover got In 1928, and the Re-
publican party will make gains in
the State.
For the first time since carpet
baggers controlled the State gov
eminent and the returning boards.
candidate for Congress on the Re-
publican ticket has an even chance
of election in Louisiana.
David w. Pipes. lifelong Demo-
crat who left his party to run on
the Republican ticket, is opposing
James DomengeauX, Democratic
nominee and friend of Gov. Sam
Houston Jones, in the race for Con-
gress from the Sd district. This dis
trict, in South Louisiana, is the
States sugar bowl" and planters of
sugar care little for President RooSe-
welt and less for Henry Wallace.
With few exceptions, Louisiana
sugar growers believe that the Fed
eral quota system has been harmful
to their industry. They bitterly re-
sent references by Mr.. Wallace to the
continental cane industry as inef-
lcient, by comparison with Cuba and
the Philippines. and most of them
Will express their resentment at the
polls.
Opponent Already Out.
The Democratic nominee. Mr.
DomengeauX, is member of the
State House of Representatives He
attracted attention as a worker for
Gov. Jones in the January primary
To win the Democratic nomination
he eliminated the incumbent Rep
resentative in Congress, Robert
Mouton.
Mr.. Pipes has strong support from
farmers. Mr.. Domengeaux has the
backing of the public jobholders
already organized This organiza-
ton may give him slight edge.
Under normal conditions, the SEN
timent behind Mr.. Pipes could easily
elect him. Under existing condi-
tions, with the minds of Louisianians
on the war and not on domestic
politics. it is difficult to organize the
independent voters and make them
articulate.
THE State Republican organization
is working throughout Louisiana.
but the results are not great. Sew
eral of its candidates for Congress
are going through the motions of
conducting a campaign, but only
Mr.. Pipes has a chance to win.
Willkie Talk Declines.
There seems to be less talk about
Mr.. Willkie than was the case two
months ago. Unlike residents of
some Southern States, Louisianians
who favor Mr.. Willkie are not afraid
to wear Willkie buttons, and many
are being worn.
Ballot-boX Stufhng is not nearly
as safe in Louisiana as it was a
few years ago. and this fact will
Improve the Republicans chances
of making good showing. There
is. a probability that every vote cast
for the Republican candidates. will
be returned as cast that way. Four
years ago it was a practice of some
election commissioners to give the
losing candidates as few votes as
possible. This practice was carried
into the recent primaries, and the
election commissioners who thought
they would win favor with the Jones
administration by making topheavy
returns are being prosecuted for
fraud by officers connected with the
Jones administration.
Considerable interest is being
manifested in proposed constitu-
tional amendments. It will result in
a heavier vote than usual in the
presidential contest.