| Text of article: | Hard to Find
Gov.-Designate Long planned to "head for the country" today and said he expected to be "hard to find for a few days." "If we stop this second primary, I'm going away from the city and get some rest," he said, adding that he expected to go to his farm home near Winnfield.
Long declined to' give a, press conference to Capito' netvginen saying "I'm too tired and I've got a lot of people to see:"
But the side-line view couldn't hold the 60-year-old veteran of 30 years in the political wars for long.
He soon moved to the front-row Senate seat he often pre-empted for his personal use while he was governor from 19)3 to 1952, where
he held court as committee members, hangers-on and friends or would-be friends passed by to shake hands. At times they were six-deep in line waiting for the privilege.
Tr us t e d lieutenants Camille Gravel, national committeeman, and Edmund R e g g i e, Crowley judge reportedly slated for a top
administration post, were the engineer and fireman who ramroded the show.
But there was no doubt that Long had set the switches.
Long Speaks
And at one point, although the outcome had never been in serious doubt by either his own leaders or the opposition, he took the floor, by virtue of the proxy of a member, to exhort the old committee to save the state the needless expense of a sec o n d primary he estimated would cost a million or a million and a half dollars.
(Other estimates put the cost at a much lower figure. The ap
propriation for reimbursement to parishes for elections in the current fiscal is 5345,000. Additionally, it has been pointed out, the fact that there will be a second primary for legislative and parish offices in many of the parishes would mean only a slight additional cost for including the state-wide candidates on the ballots.)
After flexing his political muscles in the old committee, which approved cancellation of the second primary by a thumping 73 to 4 vote, Lon g continued to shadow-box through the organization of the n e w committee. without even a sparring partner putting in an appearance.
Precision Vote Precision drills couldn't have added much to the way the committee fell into line to:
Elect Gravel national committeeman.
Elect Mrs. Blanche Long, wife of the governor, national committee woman.
Elect Rufus D. Hayes, Baton Rouge attorney and Long's local campaign manager, chairman of the committee.
(Continued on Page 6-A, Col. 2)
LONG FORCES
(Continued From Page 1) Elect Jett M. Talbot, Bernice, vice-chairman.
Re-elect Jesse Webb Sr., Baton Rouge, secretary.
Elevate Scallan Walsh, Baton Rouge, from assistant secretary to treasurer.
Elect Richard Davis, Alexandria. sergeant at arms.
All officers had the prior endorsement of Long and were unopposed.
Strengthening the grip on the party machinery, the new committee also approved resolutions
ef which:
Boosted the total representation
of Louisiana at Democratic National Conventions to 60 persons and set up a new formula for their selection.
Provided t h a t national convention delegates be chosen by the State Central Committee. (In the past, one-third of the delegates have been named by the central body, the other two-thirds by district committee).
And raised the limit on proxies that may be voted by any member of the committee from 7 .to 10.
The committee also decided to observe the law permitting the chairman of the State Central Committee to name the chairmen
and secretaries of the various district committees. 1By long custom, the district committees have been petrmitted to select their own officers from among heir memberships.
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