Court to Hear

Arguments on

2nd Primary

Arguments over the question of ,whether there should be a sec-

,whethe

primary for the Democratic nomination for attorney general

and agriculture commissioner I were scheduled to begin today before the Louisiana supreme' court.

The state high court yesterday granted supervisory writs calling for the cases in which incumbent attorney general Fred S. Leblanc and incumbent agricultural commissioner Dave L. Pearce seek court orders compelling a runoff primary.

LeBlanc and Pearce filed their

!actions after the state Democratic central committee ruled that the candidates of the ticket of Gov.-nominee Earl K. Long won the nomination in the first primary and no second balloting was necessary.

Long candidates Jack P. F. Gremillion for attorney general and Sidney J. McCrory for the 'agriculture post • led their fields) in the first primary but did not, receive majorities.

Ruling In 24 Hours   ,

!L1 The state committee said ong's majority in the gubernatorial race automatically gave the nominations to his leading candidates for the attorney general and agricultural commissioner positions.

Arguments were set to get under way at il a. m. before the supreme court justices. A decision is expected within 24 hours. The two identical cases filed by LeBlanc and Pearce were originally scheduled to be heard today before district Judge Jess Johnson in Baton Rouge.

Yesterday, Camille F. Gravel of Alexandria, national Demo,cratic committeeman, and Judge

gee -PRIMARY—Page 4

Primary-

Edmund M. Reggie of Crowley, counsel for defendants, filed a motion joining LeBlanc and Pearce in asking the supreme court to take supervisory jurisdiction.

Gravel and Reggie, representing the Long forces and the central committee, said they joined LeBlanc and Pearce because they wanted to afford them every opportunity under the law to have the high court determine the

issue.

One Dissent

The supreme court decided 6-1 to take jurisdiction in the cases. Associate Justice E. Howard McCaleb dissented from the decree, saying "the transfer of the case to this court for decision constitutes a usurpation of power and the assumption by this court of original jurisdiction (which it does not possess) no different from the situation which would exist if the case had been filed here in the first instance."

Reggie and Gravel said. although they joined LeBlanc and Pearce in asking the high court to hear the case, they contend the state committee took the correct action.

'Of course we believe the action of the Democratic state central committee was the only legal, fair and equitable course that could have been taken under the law," they said.

"In justice and fairness to Mr. Gremillion and Mr. McCrory, the committee had no choice but to declare them as nominees, inasmuch as Gov. Long won by a • majority in the first primary."'