Eddie N. Payne


Eddie Nuton Payne, known as E. N. Payne, was a Democrat from Springhill, Louisiana, who represented Webster Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives for one term from 1932 to 1936.
A native of Arkansas, Payne succeeded J. S. Bacon of Heflin in south Webster Parish. In 1936, Payne was unseated in a runoff election by Drayton R. Boucher, a 28-year-old educator from Springhill. Payne had led in the primary election with 2,183 votes to Boucher's 1,729. In third place was Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr., later the mayor of Minden from 1940 to 1942, with 1,181 votes. A fourth candidate, E. H. Bolin, a prominent member of the Webster Parish School Board and the father of later Representative and Judge James E. Bolin, finished last with 746 ballots.
Both Payne and Boucher were supporters of the late Governor and U.S. Senator Huey Pierce Long, Jr. Boucher visited nearly every home in Webster Parish to achieve his narrow victory, 2,778 votes to Payne's 2,474.
From 1912 to 1920, Payne had been the Ward 2 member of the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing body akin to the county commission in other states.
Payne and his wife, Mary E. Payne, are interred at Springhill Cemetery.