Evening star., 1947-01-26

today believe he had anything ap-
preaching a fair trial.
One of his legal counsel was the
grandfather of the present senior
Senator from Rhode Island, Theo-
dore Francis Green. Public pro-
test and the election of a some
what more fair minded legislature
resulted in DORIS pardon in June,
1845. But his Imprisonment so
seriously affected his health that
he died few years later.
Louisiana's Troubles.
Several months after the collapse
of DORIS army, convention called
by the General Assembly met and
submitted the present Constitution
to the then eligible voters. The
Constitution was adopted 1882
to SO.
On January 1, 1885, Democrats
seized control of the State Senate
by recount of a disputed election
With majoritieS in Senate and
House, they Immediately ousted the
entire State Supreme Court, to
which no Democrat had been ap-
pointed since the Civil War.
The Louisiana story started, as
so many things started in Louisi-
ana, while Huey Long ran the
show. While Governor, he was
elected to the United States Sem
ate in 1881, but had had a falling
out with 1t. Gov. Paul N. Cyr,
dentist. For several months he
continued on as Governor, not dar-
ing to give DR.. Cyr a chance to
take over. He even passed up a
chance to go with seven trainloads
of people to cheer the Louisiana
State University football team in
game with West Point.
Louisiana law provides that when
a Governor dies or resigns, he is
succeeded by the Lieutenant Gov
ernor. Next in line are the Sem
ate president pro tenn and the sec
retary of state. When Long crossed
the State line one day, DR.. Cyr
Immediately had himself sworn in
as Governor. Long rushed back to
Baton Rouge, called out the Ma
tional Guard, highway police and
State police.
But Senator-elect Long did not
wage a direct fight with \Dr. Cyr.
He asserted that DR.. Cyr, having
taken the oath as Governor, was no
longer Lieutenant Governor. At the
same time he contended that he
himself had not yet taken the oath
as Senator and that DR.. Cyr, there
fore, was not legally the Governor.
Announcing that he was going to
Washington to be Senator, Long
decreed that Alvin o. King, presi-
dent pro tenn of the State Senate,
was the man who legally succeeded
to the acting governorship.
Supreme Court Decides.
This maneuver left DR.. Cyr not
merely out on a limb but up in the
air, and, according to the Long
forces, neither Governor nor Lieu
tenant Governor. And Longs word
was law. Later, the Supreme Court
decided that King was Governor.
For several exciting weeks, Gov
Cyr served with headquarters in the
Heidelberg Hotel at Baton Rouge.
Gov" King did the same in the
State Capitol. With the aid of the
National Guard, most of the other
State officials, and especially Sena-
tor Long, King remained as Gov
ernor for six months until sue
ceeded by O. K. Allen, handpicked
by Huey.
Meanwhile, Long had moved on
to the Potomac with the classic pro-
nouncement: I'm leaving State
politics for good. I've done all can
lOI bOulSldlld. NOW L WdllG W ilC1P
the rest of the country
Louisiana members of Congress
who remember the Cyr-King-Long
episode say there was no violence
and few public demonstrations of
protest.
Students of the Georgia, Rhode
Island and Louisiana gubernatorial
rivalries find few exact parallels but
still much in common. They are
particularly struck by the fact that
Rhode Islands Gov. King held the
State House in Providence while Gov.
Dorr moved from place to place;
that Gov. King of Louisiana held
the Baton Rouge Capitol while Gov.
Cyr, the dentist, finally had to pull
out; and that Gov. Talmadge at
this writing sits in the Capitol at
Atlanta.
Possession may not be nine points
of the law in such disputed consti-
tutional and electoral questions. But
it seems to have paid off in most
cases thus far. 80