Dave L. Pearce

For other people named David Pearce, see David Pearce (disambiguation).

David L. "Dave" Pearce
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
In office 1952–1956
Preceded by	W. E. Anderson
Succeeded by	Sidney McCrory
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
In office 1960–1976
Preceded by	Sidney McCrory
Succeeded by	Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier
Louisiana State Representative from West Carroll Parish
In office 1940–1948
Preceded by	D.F. Edwards
Succeeded by	Dudley Seamans
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1904 Claiborne Parish
Died	May 28, 1984
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Oldham Pearce (1907-1974)
Children	Two daughters
Occupation	Farmer

David L. "Dave" Pearce (September 8, 1904—May 28, 1984) was a Democrat who served as the Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry from 1952–1956 and again from 1960-1976. Pearce, who was allied with anti-Long elements in the state, was defeated in the Democratic primary after a single term as agriculture commissioner in 1956 by the Longite entomologist Sidney McCrory (1891–1966) of Ascension Parish. However, Pearce regained the post in 1960 and then lost it again in Louisiana's first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary in 1975 to a fellow Democrat, Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier. He also failed in a 1979 campaign to regain the office.

Pearce was born in Claiborne Parish in north Louisiana to a farmer and a school teacher. He grew up on a farm and went to school in Pioneer in West Carroll Parish in the northeast corner of the state. As a young man, Pearce sold brushes and mops to the wives of farmers in West Carroll and East Carroll parishes. In 1928, he married the former Elizabeth Oldham (1907–1974) and had two daughters.

He represented conservative and mostly white West Carroll Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1940-1948. In his second legislative term, which coincided with the first Jimmie Davis gubernatorial administration, he was chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. From his experience as the legislative point man on agriculture, Pearce decided thereafter to seek the agriculture commissioner's post.

Scope of the agriculture commissioner

The agriculture commissioner's office, officially the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, regulates the growing, harvesting, inspection, and sale of crops and livestock. It also inspects the calibration of the pumps at gasoline stations and scales in grocery stores. The department ascertains that automatic price-readers in stores match up with the posted prices on products. Agriculture commissioners in other states perform these same essential functions as well.

The tall bespectacled Pearce wore a large white hat to depict himself as one of the "good guys." He "looked the part" of an agriculture commissioner and was particularly popular in rural areas of the state, specifically the northeast quadrant, because of his steadfast promotion of Louisiana agricultural products. His office also published newsletters and pamphlets with practical information useful to farmers and consumers.

Earl Long fields McCrory against Pearce

Pearce first ran for agricultural commissioner in 1948 on the intraparty ticket of former Governor Sam Houston Jones of Lake Charles^[1], who was handily defeated by another former governor, Earl Kemp Long. In 1952, however, Pearce was elected agriculture commissioner on the successful gubernatorial ticket of the anti-Long Robert F. Kennon of Minden. William J. "Bill" Dodd, a veteran state officeholder and an astute observer of Louisiana politics in the mid-twentieth century, said that Earl Long "hated" Pearce and put up the "egghead" McCrory to unseat Pearce in the 1956 primary. Dodd did not explain why Long "hated" Pearce, but McCrory did defeat Pearce that year.

In his Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics, Dodd (1909–1991) noted with humor how Long also became irritated with McCrory, who had been invited on Long's intraparty ticket "to harass and, we hoped, defeat Uncle Earl's old political enemy, Dave Pearce. All McCrory could talk about was pesticides and how to get rid of different kinds of crop-killing bugs. His main topic and claim to fame, which dominated all of his speeches, whether he was in cotton country, forestry areas, or the city of New Orleans, was his eradicating the pink boll worms from Louisiana cotton fields. Uncle Earl almost went crazy when had to listen to . . . McCrory kill enough pink boll worms to fill the Atlantic Ocean."

Pearce staged a comeback and defeated McCrory in the 1959 primary when anti-Long sentiment was running strongly in the state. McCrory in fact was eliminated from the runoff election as Pearce defeated George W. Shannon.^[2][3] McCrory ran again in 1963, but Pearce was renominated and unopposed in the general election. Pearce also prevailed in 1967 and 1971, when he defeated fellow Democrat Earl R. Banks.^[4] He had no Republican opposition during any of those elections. In the 1971 contest, Pearce's last successful one, he referred to himself in an advertisement as "Louisiana Top Salesman . . . Progressive, Experienced Administrator."^[5]

In 1970, Pearce got into a fistfight with State Senator John G. Schwegmann of Metairie after Pearce and Governor McKeithen accused Schwegmann of short-weighing meats to his customers.^[6]

Pearce opposed the election of fellow Democrat Edwin Washington Edwards as governor in the February 1, 1972, general election after Edwards unveiled a reform plan that would require appointment, instead of election, of the agriculture commissioner. Pearce said the political philosophy prevalent in Washington, D.C., where Edwards served in the U.S. House, "has wrecked us and taken all our liberties by people who are not elected."^[7] When Edwards' opponent, David C. Treen, said that he would favor keeping Pearce's post elective, Pearce virtually endorsed the Republican nominee.^[8] The agriculture commissioner has through the years remained elected.

Pearce's defeats in 1975 and 1979

In 1975, Pearce was unseated in the nonpartisan blanket primary by Gil Dozier (born 1934) of Baton Rouge. Dozier led the balloting with 42 percent. Pearce trailed with 30 percent and decided not to pursue a general election (commonly called the runoff election in Louisiana) contest with Dozier, who therefore won the position outright. Allegations of bribery, perjury, and extortion in connection with his job duties worked to sink Pearce's career. A third candidate in the field was the outgoing State Representative Lantz Womack of Winnsboro, who like Pearce was originally from West Carroll Parish.

In the 1979 nonpartisan blanket primary, Democratic agribusinessman Robert Fred "Bob" Odom of Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish, who had worked in the Agriculture Department in three positions under Pearce and was fired thereafter by Dozier, defeated both Dozier and Pearce, who was making his last attempted comeback.

A young Bastrop (Morehouse Parish) farmer, Leland George Rawls, II (born 1950), a member of the Republican State Central Committee, also ran for the position in the 1979 primary. Rawls carried a hoe during the campaign as a reminder of his promise to "promote, protect, and advance the Agriculture Department." He finished far behind the three leading Democrats.

In the October 27, 1979, primary Odom led with 563,515 (45.9 percent) to Dozier's 382,486 (31.1 percent). Pearce polled 163,873 (13.4 percent), Rawls 67,021 (5.5 percent), and 50,045 votes (4 percent) went to another minor candidate, Joe Coco. In the general election held on December 8, 1979, Odom defeated Dozier, 853,578 (67.2 percent) to 415,714 (32.8 percent). The general election drew some 43,000 more voters in the agriculture commissioner's race than had the primary. Dozier's percent was practically unchanged from the primary to the general election.

The undoing of Dave Pearce

Pearce's political decline actually began in 1972, with the disclosure that the state Market Commission had granted $330,000 in state loans to Winnfield Minerals, Inc., which went broke without repaying any of the funds. Pearce's son-in-law was a stockholder in the company.

A joint legislative committee looked into the matter, and, in the summer of 1973, an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury indicted Pearce on thirty-one charges, twenty-five for public payroll extortion, three for public bribery, one for felony theft, one for governmental ethics violation, and one for perjury. Later, he was accused with three more perjury offenses as well.

Pearce was convicted of two misdemeanors and was fined $300 for contempt of a legislative committee and $750 for violation of the Louisiana Code of Ethics.

Eighty-two convictions were eventually returned from indictments of former Agriculture Department employees.

Pearce pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors. Then East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Ossie Brown in July 1975 dropped all remaining charges "in the spirit of justice and fairness" because a key witness had died and because Pearce's health was a concern.

Pearce also angered his party when he refused to endorse fellow Democrat Edwin Washington Edwards in the 1972 general election against Republican David C. Treen. He claimed that Edwards' "Washington philosophy has wrecked us and taken our liberties." Though he did not specifically endorse Treen, Pearce said that the Republican candidate's platform was closer to his views than were the positions of Edwards, who defeated Treen by a comfortable margin.^[9]

Further scandals against Dozier and Odom

In the fall of 1980, Dozier was convicted by a federal jury on three counts of extortion and one of racketeering and was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. He served only four; his sentence was commuted by U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan.^[10]

Odom was indicted by an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury in 2002 on 21 charges, including bribery, extortion, and theft. He was acquitted, ran again for a seventh term in the 2003 nonpartisan blanket primary, and was an easy winner.

The legacy of corruption in Louisiana

After his legal troubles surfaced, Odom drew a quick defender in then Secretary of State W. Fox McKeithen (1946–2005), a Republican: "The Bob Odom that I've known is a good, straight man, and I'd be surprised if they find anything on him."

Another Republican, however, was appalled at Odom's troubles. State Senate President John Hainkel (1938–2005) of New Orleans, said that Odom's troubles, coming after those of Pearce and Dozier, smear the state's reputation amid corporate board rooms across the country who might be considering locating plants in Louisiana.

Three other statewide elected Democratic officials were also convicted in recent years: former Elections Commissioner Jerry Fowler, former Governor Edwards, and Insurance Commissioner James H. "Jim" Brown. Two previous insurance commissioners, Sherman Bernard and Doug Green, were also found guilty of corruption.

Hainkel declared that Odom's legal troubles were "very disappointing to me. . . [They don't] help us."

Dave Pearce Gospel Sing

Pearce is remembered through the Dave L. Pearce Memorial Gospel Sing, which is held in his honor every March in Oak Grove, the seat of West Carroll Parish. Despite his political upheavals, Pearce was a local favorite in West Carroll and surrounding parishes for many years.

References

1. ^ Minden Herald, January 16, 1948, p. 2
2. ^ Minden Press, January 11, 1960
3. ^ The author is unable to determine if this George W. Shannon is the George W. Shannon (1914-1998), who was the editor of the since defunct Shreveport Journal. It probably is not.
4. ^ Sample ballot, Minden Press-Herald, November 6, 1971
5. ^ Minden Press-Herald, October 26, 1971, p. 12A
6. ^ Leo Honeycutt, Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana, Lisburn Press, p. 72
7. ^ "Treen Gets Support in State Race", Minden Press-Herald, January 13, 1972, p. 1
8. ^ Minden Press-Herald, January 21, 1972, p. 1
9. ^ Minden Press-Herald, January 13, 1972, p. 1
10. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v38/ai_4328771/pg_7?tag=artBody;col1

• William J. "Bill" Dodd, Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics, Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing, 1991
• "Dave Pearce Dead at 79," Monroe News Star, May 29, 1984. (The headline said 78, but Pearce was four months short of age 80 at death.)
• http://www.safe2use.com/ca-ipm/02-08-26b.htm
• http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/LHP&CISOPTR=797 with photo
• http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=PEARCE&start=7441
• http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=PEARCE&firstname=Elizabeth&start=61
• Election Returns, Agriculture Commissioner, 1979, Secretary of State, Baton Rouge

Preceded by D.F. Edwards	Louisiana State Representative from West Carroll Parish 1940–1948	Succeeded by Dudley Seamans
Preceded by W.E. Anderson	Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner 1952–1956	Succeeded by Sidney McCrory
Preceded by Sidney McCrory	Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner 1960–1976	Succeeded by Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier, Jr.

Persondata
Name	Pearce, Dave L.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 8, 1904
Place of birth	Claiborne Parish
Date of death	May 28, 1984
Place of death