Evening star., 1948-05-14

SENATOR OVERTON.
! Star Stat Photo.
| Overton
Continued From First Page)
Kansas, placed a vase Of gladioluses
on Senator Overton's desk while his
colleagues eulogized the departed
member.
Senator Overton was popular
with Democrats and Republicans
alike, and many were obviously
moved by his passing.
Following the eulogies, the Senate
adjourned at 12:52 pm. until Mon
day. .......
Senator Overton had been a
member of Congress since 1881,
when he was elected to the House
to flll an unexpired term. The fol-
lowing year he was elected to the
Senate after bitter fight against
the incumbent, Senator Edwin S.
Broussard.
Offered Overton Formula.
Named to head the Senate Ap-
preparations Subcommittee for the
District in 1889, he soon advanced
the much discussed Overton formula
for a more equitable settlement Of
fiscal relations between the Fed
eral Government and the District.
Under this formula. the Federal
Government would contribute to the
District budget = sum in proportion
to the land area here required for
national use. Such = system had
been in effect from 1878 to 1924.
After that, however, Congress re-
solved to vote . lump sum annually
to the District.
Passed by the Senate. the overton
proposal was defeated In the House.
Observers credited the efforts Of
Senator Overton with increasing the
yearly amount voted to the District,
however.
The senior Senator from Louisi-
ana was staunch enemy of day
light saving time and consistently
fought measures proposing it for
the District. He always ran his
office on standard time during the
summer, and on May failed in an
attempt to have the Senate de-
clared Illegally in session because
it convened on daylight, not stand
ard, time.
When the daylight saving bill was
introduced this spring by Senator
McGrath, Democrat, Of Rhode Is
land, the Louisiana legislator re-
marked, 'McGrath doth murder
Sleep"
/ Strong Navy Advocate.
In 194l, Senator Overton left the
Craftsmanship of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on the District to
take ou61 the crucial job as head OF
the Appropriations Subcommittee
on the Navy. He succeeded the then
Senator Byrnes, Democrat, Of South
Carolina, who resigned his Senate
seat to become a justice Of the Su-
preme Court.
Senator Overton was q strong ad-
vocate of q big Navy and helped
push through bill after bill designed
to strengthen our naval defenses.
Before the outbreak of World War
II, however, he had announced him.
self opposed to sending American
troops 5000 miles to engage in some
foreign conflict" although advocat-
ing a strong Navy in peacetime.
He also favored District suffrage.
His plan, however, would have given
residents here the right to vote for
President, Vice President and con-
gressional Representatives, but
would have kept for Congress ex-
elusive legislative jurisdiction over
District affairs.
Known as one of the best orators
in the upper house, he took his
Senate seat amid charges that his
election had been fraudulent and
corrupt. His campaign had been
waged with the active help of the
late Senator Huey Long, who was
a close personal as well as political
friend of Senator Overton.
After two hectic and prolonged
hearings, the Senate Committee on
Elections failed to make any specific
Recommendation concerning SEN
ator Overton, although the group
blasted what 1t termed "deplorable
and distressing political conditions
in the State Of Louisiana"
Defeated in 1916.
Senator Overton was defeated in
1916 bid for the Senate, although
he had carried two-thirds of the
parishes (counties) Of Louisiana.
After the disputed election in
1882, he was reelected in 1888 and
1914. In 1898, he ran unopposed.
Although he announced plans to
retire at the end of his second
term, the Louisiana State Demo-
cratic organization insisted he run
again. At that time, 46 Democratic
Senate colleagues presented him an
unprecedented petition asking him
to reconsider his retirement plans.
In the subsequent primary, he polled
IS 900 votes over the combined total
of his three opponents. After his
latest election, his ofiice reported,
Senator Overton had remained silent
on his retirement plans.
A native of Marksville, La, he was
the son of the late Thomas Overton,
a State Judge. The Senator's great
grandfather. also named Thomas,
was a captain In the Continental
Army during the Revolution and
later served as second for Andrew
Jackson during Jackson's famous
duel with Charles Dickinson in 1906
Senator Overton was educated at
Louisiana State University and the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
at Baton Rouge. He then received
law degree from Tulane University
and settled down to practice In
Alexandra.
Sfumped State With Long.