Show Longs Long's War Against Vice ViceS I In New Orleans Pictured I S Editors Editor's Note This l In b the third of a series lulu discussing the background of ot Sen Senator tor Huey P. P Longs Long's to political control of Louisiana S By H. H O. O THOMPSON Co Copyright 1935 b by United Uni Press Hucy y Long was a product of Louisiana who seemed to have I inherited ted much of its passions and its troubled histo history y and considerable considerable con con- ble of the th romance t that at has come do down through th the ages of Spanish French and American occupation The background of Lou Lou- was made to order for him New Orleans la Is s a city of life Ute and color a Paris aParis of the old world and the new a a. city of cosmopolitan I commerce and commerce and a n city of vice It was the citadel of at the old order order- the tho order of Mt regular politicians who resented the upstart from Vinn Winn parish as many of at t the Bourbons re resented Napoleon the Corsican Long besieging g the city with his military harassing it it- with his legislative acts encompassing it within the pincers rs of his political machine mapped his strategy to strike the city in irm its il most vulnerable spot spot vice vice Def Defeated Choctaw During the political fight which culminated in Longs Long's victory over the Choctaw club the club comparable com corn parable only to lo Tammany the e lid was popularly supposed to have been put o on New Orleans Orleans' gambling and prostitution rings Certain activities of the underworld underworld underworld under under- world were But nowhere nowhere no no- where did did they cease ceas oper operations entirely T I visited many any J of these places I J I saw high st stake high ke poker played afew a afew afew few steps from city hall hail I I heard eard the call of the handbook operator naming h his s trade odds I walked through the business district dis db dis- dis I saw the sordidness of the district and looked at the luxurious settings of the expensive as assignation houses 1 Like Monte 1 Carlo Outside the parish under the political political po po- po dominance of oC Huey Long I 1 found a gambling house as sumptuous sumptuous' ous ous' as Monte Carlo It was guarded guard guard- ed by machine guns and closed tight although it was in Long ter ter- In that house sometimes was at stake on a single roll a of the dice You could bet on the horse races with any anyone one of at hundreds of ot handbook handbook handbook hand hand- book operators They took cent 25 bets beta Some Soma made no limit Longs Long's legislature re passed laws providing for tines fines of from 1000 1000 to but handbooks still operated Long made his frontal attack sensationally sensationally sensationally sen sen- against these conditions He moved in with his militia established a star chamber hearing on vice conditions brought his witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses to the microphone to deliver their indictment of the city administration administration admin admin- and then broadcast to 10 the state stata the charges that city officials received thousands of dollars each week for protection money So Huey backed by his militia and the law t that at sur suz I rounded him legally with a bodyguard bodyguard body body- guard wherever he should go went down t to New Orleans ns to drive out vice It lt was Do a a carefully planned campaign It had b been en planned for six months ever since sinco the regulars regulars regu lars headed beaded by Mayor T. T Semmes Walmsley had kept the hc Orleans Orleans Or Or- leans registration lists out of at Longs Long's reach for lor the January 1934 1034 mayoralty mayoralty mayoralty may may- election Longs Long's special session of the legIslature legislature leg leg- which he whipped cajoled and exhorted into linci line in a frenzy of politics passed the laws he be n needed needed need need- eded ed- ed ed for taking the lists and for forthe forthe forthe the political occupation of the tha enemy's enemy's ene ene- mys my's fortress So he swaggered down t to the city to back his legal acts acl with his soldiery and soldiery and as a spectacular byplay to give the good citizens of ot New Orleans a show they would remember when voting time came around The show was his vice hearing I The inc me testimony testimony adduced at the I 1 The inc me testimony testimony adduced at the hearing might have been duplicated d in any large city That it had bad a tremendous the bett better citi citizens zens Is unquestioned although the facts had been known and winked at good at good for tourist trade trad you know know for for years From the transcript tran script Senator Long I 1 would like to know It if you ou have ever noticed the vice that goes on through the red- red light district on Canal street J. J Henry Bian Blanche he On numerous numer ous occasions I noticed have noticed women well dressed and in new automobiles automobile's automobiles automo automo- biles bile's park along Canal street Inveigling Inveigling inveigling in In- young men to their automobiles automobiles automobiles auto auto- mobiles to go along with them I saw saw police officers in hi active conversation conversation con con- vex with thc them I happened to pass there once with my little daughter and an awful situation it Is 13 Senator Long wh when n al a small child would notice these women beckoning to m men n. n From such testimony as this Long I went before the people with the declaration that Mayor Walmsley should bo be ousted Although ugh he failed to get the mayor out before his death he had stripped him of every vestige of political po power er and d left him without supporters To bo be continued |