Changes

During Thomas's second term, to which he was elected without opposition in 1938,<ref>"Heavy Ballot Is Cast in Primary Election Tuesday", ''Minden Herald'', April 8, 1938, p. 3.</ref> controversy arose over the sale of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. The city had allowed such sales when the [[21st Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]] was adopted in December 1933. In the fall of 1938, a local option] election was held to decide whether Minden would impose [[prohibition]] at the municipal level. The city was voted dry effective January 1, 1939. The prohibition issue may have ruined Thomas politically, for he finished in third place in the 1940 primary election. The ultimate winner, attorney [[Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.]], served through November 1942, when he resigned to enter military service during [[World War II]].<ref name=agan/> Thomas unsuccessfully challenged Culbertson in the 1942 election and then ran in the 1946 Democratic primary, in which he finished a weak third, with the contest being won in a runoff] on May 7 by [[John T. David]].<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 10, 1946, p. 1.</ref>

During Thomas's second term, to which he was elected without opposition in 1938,<ref>"Heavy Ballot Is Cast in Primary Election Tuesday", ''Minden Herald'', April 8, 1938, p. 3.</ref> controversy arose over the sale of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. The city had allowed such sales when the [[21st Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]] was adopted in December 1933. In the fall of 1938, a local option] election was held to decide whether Minden would impose [[prohibition]] at the municipal level. The city was voted dry effective January 1, 1939. The prohibition issue may have ruined Thomas politically, for he finished in third place in the 1940 primary election. The ultimate winner, attorney [[Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.]], served through November 1942, when he resigned to enter military service during [[World War II]].<ref name=agan/> Thomas unsuccessfully challenged Culbertson in the 1942 election and then ran in the 1946 Democratic primary, in which he finished a weak third, with the contest being won in a runoff] on May 7 by [[John T. David]].<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 10, 1946, p. 1.</ref>

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of three or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of $2,082, or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race", ''Minden Herald'', July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race", ''Minden Herald'', July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>