A statesman and a dear friend III

I recall the year was 1951. I un-recall the date. (There I go again).

I got a call from Dick Guidry. Dick and I were best friends since teenagers, and we were both 22 years old and single at the time. Dick ran an insurance agency and I was a full time musician, making twice more than at the machine shop clerk job I had just quit. I was able to sleep till noon and get free room and board at my parents’ house – pretty much what a lot of young adults are doing today.

Mom called me to answer the phone.

Dick said, “Leroy, a new political party which includes my two insurance partners want me to run for State Representative. What do you think?”

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Author’s Note: Their father John L. Guidry was a highly respected civic and political leader during the political war of 1952, which begot great political changes in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes and will be detailed in future columns.

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“That sounds great, Dick, go for it,” I said. After a short pause, I asked, “By the way, what is a State Representative”?

And that’s how Dick and I got into politics.

Now, let’s go back to the future or forward to the past. You pick whichever one you’d like.

As a first term representative (1952-1956), Dick, the youngest ever elected to that body, had influence beyond his years because his party had helped elect reform Governor Robert Kennon.

He went about learning the ropes and successfully introduced bills which helped Lafourche Parish with drainage, roads, bridges and getting fresh water into every home. But he could not avoid the Earl Long sweep of 1956 and was defeated. I don’t know if he said as General MacArthur, ‘I Shall Return,’ but he did, indeed, return later.

I was with him throughout his term and I remember a few incidents that made us realize how paradoxical and contradictory politics can be. For example: Governor Kennon and Dick’s party had campaigned on reducing the number of state employee, or “deadheads” as they were called in some of the campaign songs I wrote, which made the crowds cheer. A victory rally was held by political leader Donald Bollinger. At the time, what was to become the Bollinger Empire was only a machine shop on the bayou side where we gathered to savor our victories and also to lick our wounds.

When Dick told the crowd how he would keep his promises to reduce state jobs, a strong voice echoed, “We don’t want the jobs abolished, we want them for ourselves.”

Dick was speechless for a long time and very disappointed, I’m sure.

I was with him at the capitol during a brutal legislative battle, and he was in a locked door meeting. He came out, his face white with a shocked look. He whispered to me and said, “Leroy, I just had $10,000 dollars stacked in front of me to vote against the Right to Work bill, but I remembered my promise to the voters and the Governor and turned it down.” (This is the first time this was ever disclosed.)

I want to believe that he made the right decisions throughout his career in politics, but maybe not.

I do know however that even though Richard “Dick” Guidry was only a small cog in the wheels of state government, he learned early that “the wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the grease.”

The “grease,” of course, is a metaphor for getting bills passed and bringing home the bacon, which is another metaphor for percuring for your constituents roads, bridges, drainage and oh yes, levees.

Dick squeaked loud and, often times, he got the grease.

Passing laws and legislation has been described as “messy” and originated the saying, “if you like laws and sausage, you should never watch either one being made.”

I love old quotes and here’s a favorite. It pertains to sports and it’s from Grantland Rice. I’m using it now, because it works for politics, too, so enjoy.

“When the last great scorer comes, to write against your name. He won’t ask if you won or lost, but how you played the game”.

Dick Guidry was one of those who knew how to play the game.

BYE NOW! •

Leroy MartinA statesman and a dear friend III