Christmas Gift for the History Buff – “I Called Him Grand Dad” Is A Must for 1920s and 30s Politics

America’s political world is definitely a circus.  While we think this is new to our political culture, the politics of Louisiana’s 1920s and 1930s discloses a political world that was just as wild and crazy.

In National Treasures the hero put together a set of puzzles that led to the massive Templar treasure. In “I Called Him Grand Dad” the author discovered letters that pieced together unknown parts of LA and USA politics in the 1920s and 30s.
Harvey G. Fields was a four-time delegate to the Democratic National Convention and in 1945 he was asked to be a member of the rules committee for the convention. He was a lawyer, elected as alderman of the town of Farmerville, then elected state senator and then district attorney. In 1924 he traveled to Tennessee to watch two friends battle over the right to teach evolution in school. It was there that he chastised Clarence Darrow for perpetuating a hoax in his defense of John Scopes. That same year he became head of the Louisiana Democratic Central Committee. In 27 he became a law partner of Huey Long and in 28 he assumed Long’s seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission when Long became Governor. In 32 he became chairman and in 36 he was appointed Federal Prosecutor for the Western Region of Louisiana and in 39 he prepared the case that lead to the famous Louisiana Scandals which sent a standing governor and 200 others to prison.

When his personal papers were discovered it plugged gaps in history that never would have been filled had it not been for the painstaking care given to the papers at the time of his death. Names such as Long, Roosevelt, Farley, Leche, Sinclair and numerous Louisiana Senators and Congressmen and Southern Governors as well as historical figures across the South are found in the signature blocks of the correspondence. The book has received several favorable reviews.

You can discover how Fields and Roosevelt worked together to get the Huey Long delegation seated instead of the normal delegation represented by the Ole Regulars of New Orleans. Fields had a natorious fight witjh Carter Glass on the convention floor to finally succeed in this seating. In exchange for Roosevelts support, the Long delegation supported the Al Smith nomination for President. Roosevelt was his campaign manager and later abandoned Smith for his own run for President You will understand how Fields used the power of the press to insure that the Roosevelt favored Governor Leche administration was brought to justice and thus led to the Louisiana Scandals. See how a man’s drive for what is just and right ultimately led to his downfall.

The book, “I Called Him Grand Dad. The Lost Political Papers of Harvey G. Fields”, is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and would make a good addition under the Christmas Tree for that special person who loves to read about the true inside workings of the traumatic history of both Louisiana and National politics in the 1920s and 30s.

The discovered political papers were donated to LSU and are now on display in the Reading Room of the Hill Memorial Library.

Book reviews can be found at Amazon.com.

RESHAPING THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 7/15/2018.
We look as our world as being static, never changing with norms and customs remaining in place forever. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the early days of civilization, changes in society moved slowly. Egypt took a thousand years to garner major society changes. As time has gone by, changes in a country have evolved at an increasing pace. This is no more apparent than our own country and how we have morphed our political parties over the last one hundred years.
In 1924 the Democratic convention was held in New York City. The Tammany Hall delegates from New York wanted the KuKluxKlan to be a plank item to write the KKK out of the party. Amid jeers and screams William Jennings Bryant tried to have the vote tabled and not brought up. He was not a pro KKK advocate but he did realize that if the vote was taken and the KKK was written out of the Democratic party, the party would be split and any chance of winning the White House would be lost. Eventually the issue was voted on and by a majority of just one vote, the KKK was not written out of the democratic party. At the time the Republican party was the party of color. Today all this has changed, and the Democratic party is seen as the party of the minorities.
Louisiana has on many occasions as being a totally corrupt political machine by many living outside the state. Time magazine once referred to Louisiana as America’s banana republic. When living oversees it was difficult to defend America and there were occasions when it came close to blows as I felt obligated to defend the legacy of our great state.
In fact Louisiana was a leader in American change when liberal values were needed. In the late 20s the Great Depression was in full swing and families were hurting. Louisiana took the lead in public school education as it instituted a free text book policy for all children in schools. This was the first state to have a free textbook policy, I remember my father telling me how children would come to school and would go sit outside for lunch. They would reach into their lunch bags, pull out a cold potato eat it for lunch. Huey Long changed that with free lunches for children; again, the first state to institute such a policy. When Louisiana silently screamed for medical help, the state answered. Massive charity hospitals were built around the state and people that could not afford medical treatment were then treated to good medical service. Louisiana had again take the lead in medical care for the masses.
At this time we are at a juncture where change is required in our great state. It is normal that we institute policies to help with a major social issue or problem. Unfortunately we do not put in a strategy to evolve out of social policies and many times these laws make Americans addicted to government aid and entitlement programs. Louisiana has had a financial crisis and our leaders are having to make hard decisions to continue to move our state forward. Louisiana will be a morphing state that can take care of its’ citizens while at the same time reallocate funds to rebuild its’ infrastructure and education systems. A balancing act that will take extreme measures and great leadership will be observed.
Recently I have been accused of being a Republican conservative while a week later of being a liberal. I see this with amusement as I guess this makes me neither a conservative nor a liberal and instead an American.

PEOPLE THAT BUILT OUR STATE AND OUR COUNTRY – BOB KENNON

Louisiana has been known for its’ flamboyant politicians.  Long, Edwards. Leche and many other names conger up memories of politicians that you either loved or hated.  Politicians that in many cases received bad publicity from the national press and thus put a blemish on the political landscape of Louisiana.  I remember looking at a national publication on the news rack in our commissary in Saudi Arabia.  In broad headlines on the cover of the magazine was “Louisiana, America’s Banana Republic”.  My blood boiled until I got home that night.

As bad as some make Louisiana look, it has had its’ share of good politicians that have the best interest of Louisiana and America at heart.  Politicians that have few or no black marks against them an.  Since they are good guys the sensationalism is not there and thus the press ignores them.  One of these men that dedicated his life to public service was Bob Kennon.

Kennon was born in Dubberly, near Minden, in Webster Parish.  He enjoyed the outdoors and was active in Boy Scouts where he obtained his Eagle Scout rank.  After graduating from High School he entered LSU.  His freshman year he received the award for the best academic record.  His organizational ability and leadership skills were apparent by the time he graduated from LSU.

Kennon was on the debate team and wrote for the campus paper.  Academics was not his only achievements.  He was Captain of his Reserve Officer Training Corps and was vice president of the Interfraternity Council.  He won a letter for playing center on the LSU football team.  LSU had no tennis team so Kennon help to organize the tennis team and was one of the first two players to letter in the sport at the university.

At 23 he became the mayor of Minden and for a period of time was the youngest mayor in the United States.  He did not run for re-election but instead was elected district attorney in 1930.  He remained in office for ten years until   By 1940 he had risen to Colonel in the Louisiana Army National Guard.  He had also run for and was elected Circuit Judge the same year.  It was normal to wait a year to move into a judgeship after an election.  Soon after Kennon took office, World War II drew America into the conflict and Kennon’s XIII Corp of the 9^th Army was called to service.  He did not shirk his responsibility and took his unit to war.

When he returned from WWII he assumed his role as Judge.  Then in 1948 he ran for governor but was defeated by the infamous Earl Long.  Four years Kennon was victorious and became the 48^th governor of Louisiana.  Following his successful run for governor, Governor Kennon appointed Farmerville businessman Fred Preaus  at his Highway Director and later backed him for the 1956 gubernatorial race.

Kennon died in 1988 and Bill Dodd, an opponent in several campaigns wrote an eulogy in the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate.  Part of the article read:

“Governor Kennon was never tried and acquitted of wrongdoing because he didn’t break the law or do anything suggesting he ever acted illegally or even unethically. He never spent any time with AA or in a CDU for he didn’t drink alcohol and didn’t snort cocaine. And when he took trips on boats, he went fishing or to a hunting camp with his boys and not to a hideaway like Bimini. His family was exemplary and made no waves that called for suppressing hospital or police records or anything else.

Perhaps the fact that Kennon was honest and efficient and ran the state and his life according to the laws of God and man, he missed out on the press coverage that goes to those who have to be rehabilitated and forgiven for their unethical and illegal conduct; coverage that often praises those rascals for their courage and fortitude to face the public after disgracing themselves and their friends who elected them.

Whatever the reason for Governor Kennon’s lack of recognition for having been a model father, soldier, judge, and governor, the cold base record shows that he was exactly the kind of man the public, the preachers, and the press say they want but seldom get in the governor’s office.

Bob Kennon was, with all his success, a humble man and, if living, he would not want credit for what he did. He regarded his going a good job as his duty, and Bob was a man who always did his duty.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FARMERVILLE

 

During our lives we experience certain things that seem to brand themselves into our psyche.  These special events appear to have happened just yesterday as time seems to stand still.  Then one day the event is put into perspective and we say to ourselves that we can’t believe it has been that long since the incident took place.  It may have been something as tragic as the assassination of a president or the death of an iconic rock and roll king or perhaps something more local.  For me the recent epiphany was the 125^th Anniversary of the birth of Farmerville.  I came across the souvenir program for the ceremonies and said to myself that it is hard to believe this took place fifty years ago, and it seems just like yesterday.

On March 15, 1976 the town of Farmerville began a four day birthday celebration.  This celebration exemplifies what a small community can do when it pulls together, what teamwork can accomplish when focused on a common result and what a fun environment rural America can be.

Festivities began the evening of March 15^th when the Centenary Band performed in the Farmerville gym.  In 1976 a live performance was a big event for a community and for small Farmerville to have the Centenary College Choir travel from Shreveport to Farmerville to perform was no small event.  Admission was charged and students had to pay $.50 and adults were charged $1.00.  Committee Chairman for the Choir was Mrs. Cecil Read, math and physics teach at Farmerville high School.

The celebration moved into high gear on March 16^th.  Farmerville was undergoing an economic growth spurt due to several individual and state investments in the area.  Farmerville’s celebration allowed an opportunity to showcase these successes.  International Paper held an exhibit in honor of one of its’ most prolific timber suppliers for its’ Bastrop Paper Mill.  Mr. Max Gilmore hosted this event.  A flower show opened to showcase beautiful flower arrangements prepared by the Farmerville Garden Club.  This club was formed by Mrs Ralph Harper in 1948, a teacher at Farmerville and the show was organized by Mrs. N.B. James.  A small museum was established in the lobby of the new First Federal Savings and Loan on Main Street with Mrs. Frank Yelton chairing this exhibit.  Also opening for the celebration was the art show that showcased the talent of Mr. Larce Holder’s art classes.  Mrs. James Fenton organized the art show.  Two locations were set aside for art from both adolescent and adult classes. On the afternoon of the 16^th a large parade was held.  Marching bands, majorettes and floats that celebrated the birth of our town were all there.   Mr.  Richard Neely organized the parade.  Following the parade the Preaus-Auger Chip Mill was formally dedicated.  This was a major economic boom for the area and was hosted by Mr. Fred Preaus.  That night a banquet was held at the Farmerville Cafeteria and was chaired by Mrs. C.  R. Rainwater.  This was followed by a Convocation in the Farmerville gym that was accommodated by Mr. W.C. McMurrian.   Many may ask what a convocation is.  It is a gathering of people and in the deep south it use to have a religious theme.  Unfortunately the details of the convocation for the Farmerville ceremony appears to have been lost over time.   What a long but fun day March 16^th was.

On Friday March 17^th the Art Show, Flower Show, and Museum continued.  That evening the Farmerville Gym was once again the venue for the birthday when it hosted a variety show plus the Miss Farmerville contest.  Mr. Roy Forrester chaired the variety show while Mr. Jack Hill headed the Pageant committee.  Admission to the event was $.75 for students and $1.00 for adults.  This pageant morphed into the Watermelon Pageant and has produced Miss Louisiana’s and Miss America Contestants.

In the morning of March 18^th  Gerald Farrah coordinated an air show that showcased precision parachute jump teams..  Then the culmination of the celebration took place in the gym.  The Ole South Ball took place with awards going to the lady with the most authentic gown.  This was not the biggest part of the evening.  Phares Corder and his orchestra played till mid-night and the gym rocked with old and young dancing through the evening.  I have to admit that I took full advantage of the event.  This was sponsored by the Farmerville Jaycees and admission was $2.50.

Hillary Clinton wrote a book, “It takes a Village”.  The 125^th anniversary of the founding of Farmerville exemplifies that term.  It took a unified effort with a lot of leadership and a lot of pride to produce the ceremony and it was a grand event.

Happy birthday Farmerville.  For one hundred and seventy-five years old you are still quit a beautiful lady.

One note, I used the names of the chairs for the various committees as they were presented in the official souvenir program.  The women were identified as the wife of her husband and the ladies names were not used.  That was the way it was in 1967.  A lot has happened in 50 years.

HUEY LONG WILL BE PROUD IN 2017

This will appear in the Bernice Banner, Bernice Louisiana, the week of Jan 8, 2017.

There is no doubt that Huey Long loved LSU and he especially loved his LSU Tigers.  He wanted to turn LSU from being merely a southern university to being a premier school of the United States.  He knew that it would take more than academics and he began to work on all aspects of the University.

LSU is the flagship of Louisiana Universities and Long decided that the LSU band could make a positive statement for the state and the school.  Long frequented the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans and while at the Blue Room, touted as being the first Hotel Lounge in America, he saw an Orchestra Leader by the name of Castro Carazo.  Long had a body guard bring Carazo to his room and Long then hired him to bring spark to the LSU Band.  Over the years Long and Carazo together wrote several LSU fight songs. One song, Touchdown for LSU, is still played at the LSU pregame show.  Long also molded the band into a true half time show.  He discarded the military style uniforms and changed to a flashier band garb.  The band also expanded to 250 members and was referred to as “The showband of the South” because of its’ flashy halftime performances.  There were times when Long would lead the band into Tiger Stadium as the drum major.

Long also knew that participation at LSU games could lead to success so he negotiated with the railroads to provide discounted tickets for the LSU band and students to be able to travel with him on away football games.  He once felt threatened when Ringling Brothers, Barnham and Bailey brought their show to Baton Rouge and were scheduled to open on a Saturday when LSU had a home game.  Long asked that they delay the opening but the circus declined.  Long then dispatched his head of the Department of Agriculture to the circus.  Louisiana had a law that any animal entering the state had to be dipped to kill any ticks that could infect Louisiana livestock.  The head of Louisiana Agriculture wanted to see the dip certificates for the large animals; lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, etc.  The circus decided that they needed a day’s rest and the circus would open on Sunday.  The circus was granted a waiver for the dip.

Another action that Long took to build LSU and other schools across the state, was to rebuild the buildings on the campus.  He hired an architect from New Orleans by the name of Leon Wise.  Wise transformed the school utilizing WPA funds available during the great depression.  Long also wanted to expand the then existing stadium to become a southern hallmark for college football.  WPA funding refused to fund the new stadium.  The federal government did not build college football stadiums.  Wise came up with the idea to transform Tiger Stadium into a student dorm and funding for new dorm rooms was approved for LSU.  It is doubtful that it was fully understood that the dorm would be in the expanded Tiger Stadium.  The dorms remained in use until the 1980s.  Wise is identified as an architect with a degree from Tulane and was born and raised in rural North Louisiana in Farmerville in Union Parish.

This coming year will please Huey Long.  I have a vibe that LSU is going to enter into a new era of football prominence.  The new coach brings an excitement and enthusiasm that is infectious.  He is not only going to infuse this excitement into the team but into the entire state.  Louisiana has a large pool of some of the best football players in the country and the talent drain to Alabama is going to slow down if not turned off all together.    The Nick Sabin mystique to walk into the LSU backyard and poach some of the state’s best players is going to take on a serious challenge and its’ about time.  This year LSU will play with new found momentum and the offense will mix up a plan that will open the full potential of the team.  They will have a Heisman candidate who may well take home the trophy and will do so with grace and enthusiasm.  2017 will also  be the year that LSU beats Alabama and they will do it in Tuscaloosa.  Huey Long will be proud.

WHO KILLED HUEY LONG

This will appear in the Bernice Banner, Bernice Louisiana the week of 7/10/2015.

Huey Long was a very controversial individual. Some called him a demagogue while other thought of him as a savior that would bring America out of the Great Depression. Even after death his life continues to be a controversy as there is still speculation as to who actually killed him. Just as fascinating are the stories of other plots to assassinate the U.S. States Senator and previous Governor of the state of Louisiana. After the assassination of Long the Chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission opened his own investigation into the assassination and his findings were quit intriguing. This information originally came from a book by Harvey G. Fields that is no longer in print; however, the content was captured in a recent book titled “I Called Him Grand Dad, The Lost Political Papers of Harvey G. Fields”

The commissioner uncovered three plots following the actual assassination. The first came from various leaders and was manifested from anger toward Long. According to Fields the conspirators wore a piece of red ribbon to denote a type of brotherhood that was aligned in the assassin attempt. This was never manifested in any clear planning but showed how much Long was disliked in some circles.

The second attempt appears to have been better planned. Prior to the assassination, Fields was visiting Long in his hotel room and witnessed the presence of several armed body guards. Fields questioned Long about them and asked if he really thought that he was in peril. Long quickly answered that he was. He told Fields that there was a conspiracy for a cab to ram him between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Fields discounted this as improbable since the cab driver would have been committing suicide. Then several months after the assassination it was revealed to Fields that this in fact had been the plot. The cabby would swerve at the car and jump after doing so. The reward was a large sum of money. The conspiracy was very detailed and called for several people to be along the route to report on the Senator’s movement. According to the report given to Fields, one man had a bout of conscience and confessed to a priest. The priest couldn’t divulge the man’s name but did pass on the plot details. A very prominent radio evangelist was informed of the plat and made the call to Long.

The third was the plot that actually led to the assassination. Dr Weiss in a fit of anger succeeded in shooting and mortally wounded Huey Long. Fields did uncover several points that would lead one to suspect that there were others involved in the Long assassination. A week before the shooting a wealthy banker was asked to drop into a hat a contribution to aid in the defense of an assailant of help the widow in case of his death. The banker refused. A national radio announcer had also heard of a plot. Whether the actual   assassination was a part of the second plot that was mentioned or was an independent act will never be known. What is known is that two unidentified men were standing in the hall following the shooting and were never identified or seen again.

There were quit a lot of rumors about who actually killed Long. Some say that Weiss only hit Long with his fist and a stray bullet from one of the body guards hit Huey. Fields performed his own investigation. One man on the scene was a former sheriff and   state legislature by the name of J.E. Maclannahan from Caldwell Parish. He was present at the shooting and told Fields that he saw Weiss pull a gun and shoot Huey. Fields also talked to Sheriff Elliot Coleman who was present at the shooting. He confirmed that Weiss pulled a gun and shot Long one time. No body guard’s bullet hit Long.

LAKE D’ARBONNE FLOODING X 3

This will appear in the Farmerville Gazette, Farmerville, Louisiana, the week of March 13, 2016.

When I was working in Saudi Arabia we designed and built our offshore facilities to withstand a 100-year storm.  This 100-year storm is a storm where all the worse natural properties of a storm come together to produce the perfect storm.  This includes the maximum wind speed that could be expected coming from a direction that allows the greatest “fetch” and followed up by lunar alignment that affects the highest tides.  When all this criteria lines up for a specific time period the catastrophic effects of mother nature are used to design a facility.  The probability of all these factors coming together are predicted to occur once every 100-year.  We have just experienced this 100-year storm in North Louisiana but this is not the first one that many of the residents have witnessed.  This 100-year storm also occurred in 1991 and for those of you that were around in 1958, you will remember a third 100 year storm but without a lake in place.

The storm of 16 will be remembered as a time of tragedy for many residents in our communities.  What should also be remembered is the love and affection of a people that is traditional for residents of the deep south and this has never been more apparent than what we have experienced locally.  When it was announced that Monroe and West Monroe had opened shelters to take in flooded residents there was one other shelter opening listed.  The Willie Davis recreation center in Farmerville was opened to take in flood victims.  Rural Union Parish and Farmerville was he first rural area to answer the call of humanity.   This was not the only government agency that swung into action.  Police agencies were in full force to provide protection and help for the citizens and firefighting teams helped with water rescue.  Government workers and volunteers worked side by side to fill sand bags and local restaurants provided meals for the members of police agencies working multiple shifts.  Churches filled trucks with volunteers and sand bags as they entered subdivisions to attempt to protect homes from the ravages of mother nature.  I was in Frenchman’s Bend in Monroe last Friday and it was difficult to get to my daughter’s house due to all the traffic.  The traffic was not loading up to leave the subdivision; the traffic was pouring in to provide help. There was no screaming, no panic, no arguing and no issues; just hundreds of dedicated people helping their fellow man.  American human nature at its’ best.

In 1991 the Gulf War had just ended.  I had returned from Saudi Arabia and fell asleep on my couch.  I was awaken in the middle of the night to the sound of a torrential storm that dumped about fifteen inches of rain on North-Central Louisiana and the Ouachita River basin.  Lake D’Arbonne quickly rose and residents of the area witnessed the devastating effects of a quick rising lake.  Many lost everything but once again the outpouring of support was overwhelming.  As the residents of Union Parish fought a rising lake the residents along the Ouachita River fought to keep a massive river at bay. Years later I was in Hot Springs and heard of the effects of the of the rain at the headwaters of the Ouachita River.  A nine foot wall of water rushed down the main street of the beautiful Ozark city but like the mythological phoenix, Hot Springs came back better than ever just like North Louisiana will do once the current flood resides.

While many of us remember the last two floods some will also recall the flood of 1958.  Again Mother Nature unleashed a perfect storm and spring rains raised the level of bayou D’Arbonne to a height greater than the pool stage of Lake D’Arbonne today.  There was no spillway and no lake, just large expanses of hardwood bottom land so the rains that filled these basins to the level that is reached must have eclipsed what we have recently witnessed.  Water was over old highway 15, the road that is now an access road on the south end of the lake.  My father had just opened his creosote plant and it was totally submerged.  Local people living in the area went out in boats to help retrieve treated posts that had floated away.  Students on the south side of the bayou were taken to the edge of the flood in school busses.  The students then loaded onto Army deuce-and-a-half trucks to be driven through the water to the north side of the flooded bayou.  The students then boarded busses to be taken to the school at Farmerville.

This was not the first of the 100 year storms.  In 1932 the Ouachita River basin had flooded with catastrophic consequences.   This one I wasn’t around for.

 

 

LOUISIANA’S INFLUENCE IN DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS

 

Today there is much discussion about the use of the Brokered Convention and some see it as a way to steal a nomination from a person that the political party feels is unworthy to represent the party.  In fact, the rules are clear as to what actually constitutes a brokered convention.  In the early years of the conventions the many states sent their delegates “uninstructed” to the conventions.  This meant that they were free to vote for whomever they felt would be the best candidate.  The United States has come a long way since those early days and rules are in place to help to identify how to select a candidate if a certain percentage of delegates do not cast votes for a specific candidate.  Then the selection of the candidate is brokered.  In the early Democratic conventions a candidate had to receive a 2/3 majority of votes from the convention delegates to be considered the winner of the nomination.  This changed in 1936 with the number of candidates becoming a simple majority.

While a brokered selection of a candidate is not liked by a party due the negative impact to the election process, it is a method to select the presidential candidate.  It has been a while since this was required; however, America did come close.  In 1968 Bobby Kennedy had won most of the primaries but did not have enough delegates.  An assassin’s bullet eliminated the need for a brokered selection.  The Democratic Party came close again in 2008 with the  race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  A last minute delegate vote sent Hillary to the side lines and Barak Obama to the White House without a brokered selection.

The Republicans have not been immune to close calls either.  John McCain and Mitt Romney were headed for a brokered convention until Romney dropped from the race.  Gerald Ford and Ronald Regan also were near a brokered selection.

This is not a normal political year and as messed up as this seems it is slightly refreshing to see something new going on in American politics.  The one thing that is mandatory is that whoever is selected to run for office must be selected in a manner that is legitimate and with the least indication of a rigged process.

2016 displays how the nomination for the president of the United States is made.  Each state either holds a caucus or selection vote that determines which candidate will receive delegate votes at the national convention.  The delegate votes from a specific state can be either divided among candidates based on the number of votes casts by the state voters or it can be a winner take all state.  In a winner take all state the winner of the most votes will receive all of the delegate votes and not a proportion of the votes.  The state political party determines the method to use.

Today’s election displays an ire by the voters that have a problem with the centralized ole boy club in Washington.  It is felt that the direction of the country comes from a few power brokers that are directing how the company will be run.  Whether true or not the perception is there. In Louisiana in 1928, it was definitely there and it took a floor fight on the Democratic convention floor to determine who would represent Louisiana at the convention.

In 1928 Huey Long was the new governor and was not taken seriously by the political power brokers in New Orleans, the Ole Regulars.   At that time some delegates were selected by vote but a large number were selected by the strength of the state political party.  The Ole Regulars was the key party, was newly elected governor Huey Long’s adversary, and thought they had bought him off two weeks earlier.  Normally the delegate list is delivered to the governor and the governor would sign the list approving the delegates.  Long had his aide and head of the Louisiana Democratic Party investigate this.  The law did not identify how delegates were to be selected so Long selected his own delegation based on state law.  The Long delegation went to the convention as did the delegation that had been selected by the New Orleans Ole Regulars.  After a fight on the floor of the convention between Carter Glass and the Long aide, Long’s delegation was seated.  Part of this was the result of a deal between Long’s aide and the political activist from New York, Franklin Roosevelt.

One of the reasons for the seating of the Long delegation was to wrestle control away from the power brokers and place it more into the hands of the citizens.  Only in this case it changed ownership from the Ole Regulars to the Long political machine.

SMALL TOWN AMERICA

This will appear in the Farmerville Gazette, Farmerville, Louisiana, USA the week of 3/15/2015.

Every once in a while you have to stop what you are doing and take a step back, take a deep breath and take time to reflect and smell the roses. As we get so immersed in everyday events and consumed with a social media that surrounds us in some type of artificial bubble it is a relief to take a time out and allow the world to go by. There is no better place to do this than in small town America and this is indicative of our own rural roots of North Central Louisiana and specifically Union Parish.
There is a tradeoff to where a person lives and what they receive from their lives. The larger cities provide a conduit to a multitude of opportunities. Museums, the arts, cultural occasions and a multitude of services provided by a wide tax base are some of the effects that would draw an individual to live in a less rural setting. The larger the city the greater these opportunities to some extent. We have recently witnessed the collapse of Detroit and had good ole American values been implemented and managed a great city would not have been forced into bankruptcy. It is these values that is ingrained in rural America.
America’s rural roots come from the founding of the country by Europeans and was present in North America before the first Viking or Spanish Explorer arrived on American soil. As America grew cities formed and the farms grew. America migrated west from the Atlantic coast to the plains of the Mid-West, the panhandle of the Gulf, the swamps of South Louisiana and the hills of North Louisiana and Arkansas. The faint lights of farms dotted America’s countryside and small towns sprang up to provide the creature comforts for the rural residents. While some of these towns grew into cities the vast majority remained as small outposts of civilization for a gigantic country.
What rural America is lacking in cultural advantages it is more than compensated for with good hard working individualism empowered with a free spirit and to some extent with an ability to be self-reliant. This perpetuates into a work ethic that builds companies, leads armies and grows a nation with a spirit that finds happiness in the basics of life.
A young man that came from very humble beginnings told how he loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing and due to harsh economic times had to work at a young age to help support an impoverished family. It all proved to be life lessons learned in rural America to develop a leader that would become the supreme allied commander during World War II and ultimately a two term president that led America to a prosperous eight year period. Dwight Eisenhower is a legacy to rural American leadership values. And this is just one of thousands of examples of rural Americans that have risen to the call to build a nation.
There is more to rural America than just the leadership development that the country brings to society. Some say that rural America is a slower paced life style. Instead it is a life style based on different pleasures and rewards. Rural America receives pleasure from the small things in life. The sight of spring as a world of flowers explode into a multitude of colors, a thank you and a smile for holding a door open, the taste of a magnificent feast as one samples homemade dishes prepared by numerous men and women during a family reunion or the tranquilizing smell of an infant wrapped in a towel following the bath; this is rural America. To say that it is a slow life style though, is anything but true. Follow my so as he is up before the sun rises to hunt ducks before going into the office. Or watch a farmer when baby chicks arrive or the man putting on rain gear in the middle of winter to get to the oil rig. Then observe how these individuals embrace life during their time off with the ball games and Friday night lights and other pleasures. No, rural America is not slow; its’ just a different kind of fast.
Personally, I am proud to declare that I am from rural America and even more proud to say that I am from rural Union Parish. Where else can a person collect his thoughts on the way to work where there are only four stop lights in thirty miles? Where else can a person live within eyesight of one of the loveliest lakes in the region and experience a life style where a person feels safe and protected. If I want to take a gun and go shoot tin cans in a open field I am fifteen minutes from that adventure but if I want to see a play then Monroe is thirty miles in the other direction. If I want to attend church, I don’t to have to worry about finding one, that is certain. And if I am unable to get to the church there is all ways someone who will volunteer to get me there. While there may be more physical attributes to urban America’s there is certainly more opportunity to enjoy life in rural America.

FARMERVILLE STEEPED IN HISTORY WITH REMNANTS REMAINING

This will appear in the Farmerville Gazette, Farmerville, Louisiana, USA the week of 1/3/2015

Farmerville is steeped in rich history. The town was first chartered in 1842. To celebrate its’ birthdays celebrations were held at its’ centennial, followed up with a massive four-day celebration for its’ 125th anniversary and again there was a celebration for the 150th birthday.
A booklet was produced for the 125th birthday that gave a broad history of the town and surrounding area. While Farmerville has produced robust growth and development, some of the early remnants of the community remain. Other manmade structures disappeared through nature’s acts of returning man-made objects to the soil or through man’s desire to build and rebuild.
If one turns west off Main Street onto Franklin Street, the James Fenton house is sitting on the corner at 301 Academy. The Fenton’s are no longer with us and it is unknown if the plum granite trees remain to be robbed by local children in the middle of the night. What is remaining is a very well kept house that once was the residence of former Louisiana Governor W.W. Heard. During the Civil War it was a Headquarters of the local Confederate forces. Uniforms and caps for Confederate soldiers were made there.
Two house north of the Fenton house on Academy Street is the former Preaus house. This is one of the elaborately built homes steeped with balustrades and columns that were constructed in the early 1900s. This home was built about 1905 by deceased resident Fred Preaus’s grandfather. Fred Preaus’s mother was the first woman to register to vote in Union Parish in 1920 following ratification of the 15th Amendment of the Constitution that allowed women the right to vote. Preaus was selected by Governor Robert Kennon to be the state highway commission director in 1952. This house has been very well maintained and is a testament of building skill and a desire to maintain a beautiful structure.
If one returns to Main Street and goes north to Louisiana 2 and then turns west, the traveler will see the Paul Read house on the north side of the road. This home was built by Paul Read in 1928 and displays how the town was growing out of the town’s center.
Continuing west for about a mile the traveler will suddenly be introduced to Edgewood Plantation. This lovely plantation home was built in 1902 by Jeff and Nan Baughman. The house was surrounded by three thousand acres of timberland. Cypress lumber cut from the plantation was used in the construction. The front curved porch was constructed to resemble the deck of the early steam boats that plied the waters of the southern rivers. Material was hauled from Monroe by wagon. During the 1980’s and 90’s the plantation was abandoned and nature and vandals began to take its’ toll on the building. A tree fell through the roof and rain poured through. The plantation was about to end in a pile of rubble and serve as an eye sore to the community. Enter Pat and Kay Carroll. They purchased the structure that probably had less than two years to live, revived it with loving attention to detail and once again the Baughman Plantation home has been elevated to the grandeur of the early 1900s.
Following a tour of the plantation the traveler can return to Farmerville and take Bernice Street that turns into Anthony Street. Look out the driver’s window and observe the Farmerville Gymnasium. This structure seats 3,000 people and was a magnificently large building when constructed in 1930. This is a tribute to not only the architects but also the foresight of the town’s leadership to have built such a large building in such a rural setting. At the time the gym would hold far more that the entire population of Farmerville.
Many venues have taken place outside of the normal basketball game. When I lived in Arabia the vice president of the exploration department of ARAMCO told me about going to Farmerville and boxing Golden Gloves in the Farmerville gym. The early days of the Watermelon festival witnessed the Watermelon pageant as spectators melted in the July heat with no air conditioning available. Many a Farmerville graduate walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and the once-a-year all inclusive pep rally would bear witness to twelve grades of cheering students as the Farmerville Farmer football team sat on the stage. Alas, all good things come to an end. Farmerville High School will soon be rebuilt as a new and modern Union Parish High School. It is hoped that something innovative is being reviewed and considered that will save both the gym and high school from the wrecking ball.
Many other structures are no longer with us. Fire, progress, nature and lack of money have removed much of our early legacy from our streets. In the future these will make for an interesting topic when news is slow, if that ever truly happens. Wishing everyone a happy 2015.