| Show LONGS LONG'S EMPIRE SEEN TOTTERING NEW ORLEANS La Sept 9 Senator UP H P. P dictatorship dic- dic UP Senator Huep Hiep ep Longs Long's tt over Louisiana tottered today while he ho fought for his life His empire would crumble to ruin tho the moment he died His lils powers are intangible lc He controls the votes of legislators the obedience of state officials the destinies of all officeholders But Buthe ho he has no true authority himself All the tho dictatorial laws Jaws he maneuvered maneuvered maneuvered maneu maneu- vered to get control of the government government govern govern- ment mont were exercised through subservient subservient sub sub- servient executives and departments departments depart depart- ments which were not correlated I am the constitution Long said once To those who asked Could Long have achieved d his power in another state Tho The answer answer Is P Probably not Louisiana's was government made to order for him It concentrates unusual powers over state boards in the hands of the This dates back to reconstruction days when the for Ute the present Louisiana constitution aws drafted The legislature then often was controlled by negroes Tho whites could elect eJect governors In statewide Q elections but could never be sure of the legislature So they shifted all possible authority to the chief chic executive Until Long appeared the system was harmless Long a fervid student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent of politics understood d possibilities possibilities and was ready to grasp them when he became governor in 1928 He began by giving recess appointments appointments appointments ap ap- ap- ap on state boards to his followers but taking their undated resignations before appointing them Thus he retained control of state officers he didn't have the power to oust This was the foundation of the Louisiana dictatorship Toda Today it blan blankets ets the legislative the Judiciary and the executive branches The job of ot every city street sweeper roads cross-roads constable constable constable consta consta- ble and school teacher is Longs Long's to command all governed by an elaborate dab dab- orate system of state bureaus Longs Long s' s grasp on election machinery machinery machin machin- ery cry is so 80 complete that only o his partisans preside at and poli police pollee e the polling booths distribute and count the ballots v oJ Tho The web of his tax system was so 80 fine spun that he ho could and did impoverish the cit city of New Orleans its revenues or increase e etho the tho tax assessments to bankrupt a merchant he ho disliked The supreme supreme supreme- court of the State sustains his laws Jaws three four by decisions de do- with regularity One Ono of ot the justices was was' elected on on a 11 L Long ng ticket and another was appointed by Longs Long's ally Governor O. O K Allen To enforce e his will and guard his life ilfe there is an unlimited army of state police including uniformed d highway patrolmen and secret Investigators investigators investigators in in- the entire national guard of L Louisiana which he mobilized mobilized mob mac so often and every city's police police po po- lice and sheriff force not to mention mention men men- tion Lion his personal bodyguards which at times numbered a score of men Whether he lives Jives or dies dice now Long is perpetuated for ages in free schoolbooks s and bronze plaques of his hia likeness in the classrooms Inthe in tho the state capitol where he was shot in a bridge across the the- Mississippi river at Ne New Orleans now ri nearing hearing completion Inmany in inmany inmany many other free bridges and thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of miles of paved roads |
