Tuesday, March 3, 1964 University Daily Kansan
Page
Louisiana Victory Sought by GOP
NEW ORLEANS — (UPI) — Republicans today made their strongest bid since carpetbagger days to capture the governorship of Democratic Louisiana in an election threatened by the third man in the race.
Democrat John J. McKeithen was favored to win, but the GOP promised to give a good showing at the polls for their candidate, Charlton Lyons, even though only about 11,000 of the state's more than one million voters are Republican.
THE THIRD candidate, Thomas S. Williams, an unknown running on the States Rights Party ticket, was not expected to cause trouble at the polls but he did cause some consternation in the courts.
He sued in federal court in Baton Rouge to keep voters from balloting on a successor to Gov. Jimmie H. Davis, whom state law forbids seeking a second straight four-year term.
U. S. District Judge E. Gordon West refused to issue the order but did order state officials to appear before him to show cause why the results of the election should not be thrown out.
This would put in office incumbent Democrat C. C. (Taddy) Aycock.
Williams also asked for an injunction to prevent Secretary of State Wade O. Martin and the Louisiana legislature from approving the election results and asked that a new election be called.
In his suit, Williams charged all but 10 of the state's 64 parish (county) voting machine custodians had failed to tell him when they planned to seal their machines for the election.
HE SAID that if a new election cannot be held, the winning candidate for Lieutenant Governor should be named governor.
The 45-year-old McKeithen, a member of the public service commission from Columbia, La., surprised political observers when he won the Democratic nomination from former Ambassador Delesseps S. Morrison in the January runoff.
HE OVERCAME political obscurity to erase a 140,000 vote lead Morrison held over him in the Dec. 7 primary. McKeithen was forced to campaign when Lyons served notice the GOP planned an all-out fight for the governorship.
They are required by state law to tell candidates before they seal the machines.
Lyons left the Democratic Party in 1960 because of its liberal policies. He campaigned hard on a Goldwater platform of conservative government.
A Republican has not been governor in Louisiana since post Civil War days.
Besides Lyons, Republicans were entered in 18 house races and 6 state senate contests.
837 Mass. VI 3-4255
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