Evening star., 1941-05-26
Colleagues Praise
0yerton After He
Answers PegIer
Louisiunu Democrat
Replies to CoIumnist's
Charges on Election

Republican and Democratic men,
bers of the Senate joined today in
declaring their high regard for Sem
ator Overton, Democrat, of Louisi-
ana after he had taken the floor
on a question of personal privilege
to answer a recent attack by West
brook Pegler, columnist.
The column by Mr.. Pegler, which
Senator Overton had read to the
Senate, was a criticism of the recent
placing of the late Senator Huey
Longs statue in Statuary Hall. In
discussing the statue, the columnist
referred to the contest that was filed
against Senator Overton following
his first election, in 1892 The COL
umnist asserted Senator Overton
was elected by the Huey Long ma
chine and that he would have been
thrown out If the Senate at that
time had not lived in fear of the
dictator Mr.. Pegler also declared
Senator Overton still could be
thrown out of the Senate "on the
basis of the evidence obtained and
the report made by the committee
which investigated his election
Answering the assertion from the
floor today, Senator Overton de-
clared, in part;
Concerning my own tenure of
Office in this august body and the
results of the investigation of the
primary election of 1882, in which
I was first nominated as a candi-
date for the United States Senate,
Westbrook Pegler, M. NJ, runs the
whole gamut of Justification and
shows in its full bloom the reputa-
ton for deceit and distortion which
through years of indulgence he has
20 deservedly built for himself.
1888 Election Cited.
TT would be going too far, Mr..
President, to suggest that the master
of mendacity might very properly
have alluded to the fact that in
September, 1888, was again NOM
mated and without opposition as
a candidate for the United States
Senate by the Democrats of Louisi-
ana and that, in the 1888 general
election following my nomination,
I received 151,482 votes against only
$50 votes cast for an opponent run
ming as an independent candidate.
Il, therefore, hold my present
tenure of Office as the uncontested
and the unopposed nominee of
Louisiana's democracy and by vir-
tue of an uncontested general elec-
tion in which I had an opponent
but no opposition in fact, and this
absence of opposition to may candi-
dacy in 1888 is, and was by the good
people of Louisiana intended to be,
the complete and final answer to
the suggestion that I was on March
4, 1888. or at any other time, or
now. unworthy of a seat in the
United States Senate. Pulitzer
Pegler did not, and would not, say
any Of these things, nor would he
point out that my denomination and
reelection in 1888 occurred three
full years after the death of Huey
Long, to whose alleged dictatorship
Pegler ascribes my first nomination
and election in 1882.
None who understands and
justly appraises the man Pegler is
surprised that he failed to note the
following facts, which the records
Of the investigation of my election
IN 1882 unmistakably show:
That out of approximately 306 900
votes cast in the nominating pri-
mary of 1882 I received a majority
of 56.52s over my opponent; that my
opponent admitted that I had been
nominated and contested neither the
nomination nor the election; that
while. under long established Gus
tom In Louisiana elections, dummy
candidates were used on both sides,
the Connally Investigating Commit
tee eXonerated both my opponent
and myself from participating in
the use of the dummy candidate de-
vice; that the Connally Investigat-
Ing Committee declared in its re-
port that there was neither charge
nor proof that Senator Overton had
participated in, or instigated any
fraud in the election: and, further
more, the records of the three in
vestigatlons show that the validity
Of less than 500 votes was challenged
and OF these only two were shown to
have been illegally cast without any
proof of whether the ballots were for
me or for my opponent.
Logan Remark Quoted.
Common decency should suggest
TO Pegler that he might make some
comment on the statement made by
Senator Logan, q member OF the in
vestigating committee. Toward
the conclusion of the hearings as
follows:
ct have listened carefully and
have never heard one man or wom-
an say word against the character,
standing or fitness of Senator Over
ton to sit In the United States Sen
ate. Not a man has said it, not
even Senator Broussard (Overtons
opponenD or any one else"
When Senator Overton had fin-
shed a group Of his colleagues
crowded around him and shook his
hand.
Senator McNary of Oregon, Re-
publican floor leader, arose and ex-
pressed his high regard for Senator
overton and his work a 4 Sepa tor.
Senator George, Democrat, of
Georgia, who was formerly chair
man Of the Privileges and Elections
Committee, took the floor to say of
Senator Overton: Il know OF no
more honorable man now sitting in
the Senate, or who has been here
In my time" He added that Sen
ator Overton "has the esteem and
confidence of his colleagues in a
high degree"
Report Was Unanimous.
Senator George told the Senate
the petition filed at the time of Sen
ator Overton's election was full of
lurid eeneralities" aimed at the then