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He had a strong resonant voice, was an imposing figure of a man, and used words and phrases in his speech (I say ''speech'', for he used the same speech with very slight changes for forty years) that were almost musical. His prose was as good as that of (orator) Robert G. Ingersoll or [[William Jennings Bryan]]. Any politician . . . who arrived at a meeting while Ernest was speaking immediately knew how long he had been on the platform and how much longer he would speak.<br>​

He had a strong resonant voice, was an imposing figure of a man, and used words and phrases in his speech (I say ''speech'', for he used the same speech with very slight changes for forty years) that were almost musical. His prose was as good as that of (orator) Robert G. Ingersoll or [[William Jennings Bryan]]. Any politician . . . who arrived at a meeting while Ernest was speaking immediately knew how long he had been on the platform and how much longer he would speak.<br>​

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The straitlaced Ernest never looked at a woman except his wife [Irene R. Woods "Rene" Clements (1898-1971), who was seventeen days his senior]; he was a teetotaler, didn't gamble, and [like [[U.S. Representative]] Otto Ernest Passman (1900-1998) of Louisiana's 5th congressional district, then based about [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], didn't like to hear vulgar stories or words. He was what we called a square. Ernest's sterling traits made him a prime target for jokes and pranks, for he took himself very seriously.​<br>

The straitlaced Ernest never looked at a woman except his wife [Irene R. Woods "Rene" Clements (1898-1971), who was seventeen days his senior]; he was a teetotaler, didn't gamble, and [like [[U.S. Representative]] Otto Ernest Passman (1900-1998) of Louisiana's 5th congressional district, then based about [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], didn't like to hear vulgar stories or words. He was what we called a square. Ernest's sterling traits made him a prime target for jokes and pranks, for he took himself very seriously.

 

Earl used Ernest to lambast and blackguard former Governor [[Sam Houston Jones|Sam Jones]], who was our main opponent in the 1948 governor's race. And since Jones and Ernest were from the same section of southwest Louisiana and had been classmates, but not friends, from college days, Ernest enjoyed his role as the hatchet man in 1948.<ref name=bdodd/></blockquote>​

Earl used Ernest to lambast and blackguard former Governor [[Sam Houston Jones|Sam Jones]], who was our main opponent in the 1948 governor's race. And since Jones and Ernest were from the same section of southwest Louisiana and had been classmates, but not friends, from college days, Ernest enjoyed his role as the hatchet man in 1948.<ref name=bdodd/></blockquote>​

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