Poor Man's Candidate

In the domain where Huey Long founded a dynasty on demagoguery, his successors have been challenged at the polls three times by an upcountry judge called "the poor man's candidate."

The challenger, Judge Robert F. Kennon, 49, is no rabble-rouser, but a neat and solid citizen, a member of the Louisiana Court of Appeals who served during World War II as a colonel with the Ninth Army in Europe. In 1948, he ran for governor and then for Senator: during the campaigning, the judge was attacked by a Long henchman, Lieut. Governor Bill Dodd, who derided his Army record, thus: "They tested his feet and said they were no good for running. They tested his blood and said it was 65% champagne and 35% talcum powder. They tested his ears, and the doctor said: 'Judge, your ears are perfect. You can hear an election coming two years off.' "

When primary time for the governor's post rolled around again this winter, Judge Kennon challenged the dynasty again.

In the field, besides Kennon, were no less than eight candidates. Governor Earl

Long, Huey's brother, who may not succeed himself, hand-picked former District Judge Carlos G. Spaht of Baton Rouge.

Last week the voters trooped to the polls and all but toppled the dynasty. Earl Long's man led with 158,839 ballots, less than a third of the total. Judge Kennon ran second with 154,812.

Under Louisiana law, the two top candidates must meet in a runoff primary. Six of the also-rans promptly urged their supporters to vote for Judge Kennon against Spaht. It looked like a sure thing for the poor man's candidate.

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