Evening star., 1948-01-21
Earl Long and Jones
Are Leading in Close
Louisiana Primary
BY the Associated Press

NEW OfLLEaACN0, Jdu. 81 - w
former Governors of Louisiana
Earl x. Long and Sam H. Jones
went ahead today with their plans
for return meeting at the polls
February "a with another term in
the State House at stake.
But more than half Of the vote
in Yesterdays Democratic guber-
material primary election still was
unreported, and there was a mathe-
maticaI possibility that Mr.. Jones
could be eliminated from the race.
Appeals Court Judge Robert F.
Kennon of Minden was running
strongly in the rural parishes, where
most of the uncounted ballots were,
and by pickingup 30 odd thousand
votes over Mr.. Jones could win q
place in the runoff primary.
State law provides that there
shall be runoff election il no
candidate receives a majority in
the first primary-and although Mr..
Long, brother of the late Senator
Huey P. Long, was out in, front and
gaining, he did not win more than
half of the total vote.
1878 Precincts Reporting.
On the basis of unofficial returns
from 672 of the 1878 precincts, Mr..
Long had 823S2 votes to 73, ,403 for
Mr.. Jones. In third place was Rep
resentative Morrison with 46,801.
But Judge Kennon fast was closing
in on Mr.. Morrison, and had
reached the 42,734 mark.
Roland Cocreham, Mr.. Jones
campaign manager, announced that
I'VE will enter Immediately into a
vigorous primary campaign. We are
confident of victory"
Don't brag," Mr.. Long warned
his followers. PUT your shoulders
to the wheel and work a little
harder"
Mr.. Long and Mr.. Jones have
been arch-rivals since the days OF
the Louisiana scandals"
Led Ballot Box Revolt.
Mr.. Jones is the man who led
ballot box revolt In 1910 against
the late Huey P. Longs political
organization, which backed Earl
Long, for the governorship. Mr..
Jones won and was succeeded in
1914 by a political ally, the singing
Governor, Jimmie H. Davis. This
year Mr.. Jones and Mr.. Long again
were made standard-bearers by
their respective factions.
The old regular organization OF
New Orleans, breaking an alliance
originally imposed by Huey Long,
named its own candidate, Repre-
sentative Morrison. Judge Kennon
made an appeal for the former serv-
icemen's vote with an "AH-G1
ticket"
Some Of the worst winter weather
seen for years in Louisana-includ-
ing snow and ice storms-failed to
prevent huge vote from being cast.
The large number of ballots and
the lengthy lists of local candidates
combined to slow the count. Negroes
voted in unprecedented numbers.
The Negro vote still is only a small
portion of the total, and no Incl
dents were reported.
Many Rural Boxes Unreported.
Several parishes in Mr.. Morrison's s
congressional district and a number
of rural boxes in which Judge Ken
mons supporters claimed strength
remained to be heard from today.
Allegations of scandal occasioned
much oratory during the campaign,
reaching crescendo few days be-
fore the election when Representa-
tive Domengeaux, a supporter OF Mr..
Jones, charged in a speech in Con-
gress that Mr.. Long had a largely
| illegal" income Of $250,000 during
the last three years in which the
Long organization controlled the
State House.
Mr.. Long sued Mr.. Domengeaux
New orleans publishers and Mr.
Jones for 81 ,00O, 900, charging a con-
spiracy to libel him. He and Mr..
Jones then challenged each other
to publish their income records and
both have accepted the dare.