The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-10-17
.,h CONGRESS. THIRD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT.
ROBERT ~BROUSSARD
" OF New Iberia.
THE DEMOCRATIC MASS
MEETING.

At two O'clock laat Sunday af
ternoon. the Bryan and Sewall Club .
Lafourche marched to the strangers
Hotel. where the party Of speader,
were assembled, and, to tile strains o
the T~hibodaux Band all marched L
the Opera House, where 4 large CROWD
of ladies and gentlemen had alread,
assembled.
The stage was beautifully aud taste.
fully decorated with bunting, will
evergreens and pot-plants, and pic
lures. Emblematic devices we're pro
fusely strewn around the walls Of the
stage and in the place Of honor in tile
middle OF the stage, and at the back
was a magnif sent Autograph If our
gallant standard bearer, William Jen-
nings Bry IN. The ladies and geptle-
men who had charge Of the decorations
had made M their minds tbat their
work would snrpass any previous dec
o%ratioDs Of the Opera House and it is
the universal verdict that they snc-
ceeded in It aching the helght OF their
expectations. W.
The first speaker was Hon. Charles
j. Boatncr who treated the tariff
Issue in a mastery style, showing the
sugar planter that it was to his inter
est to vote for the Democratic Party
whose policy it had always been to
foster their industry, for the re ason
tina: sugar came within the doctrine OF
the Party as an ideal revenue produ-
GER. He secuted the idea, 50 eedulOus-
~ circulated by Republican orators
and Republican papers that the Demo.
cratic Party was pledged to Free
Trade, for, said he, the Government
needs over six or seven hundred mil
lions OF revenue every year, and no
Democrat ever expects to derive the
money to meet the expenses of the
Government otherwise than by q duty
on imports in other words, ths Dem
ocratic Party ia committed 10 q tariff. ,
with the difference however, that it
believes in adjusting those Duties 90
al legitimate American industries NAV
be incidentally protected, aud not, as
the Republican tariff Which is designed
to AFFORD protection to Northern indus
tries to the detriment Of the Southern !
industries and to the agricultural in
forests of tho Southern States. Mr..
Boatner showed the action Of Mr..
Bryan in reference to the sugar indus.
try, when that question came before
the Ways aud Means Committee of the
House at the time that body had under
consideration the Wilson Tariff Bill. |
He allowed that every Democratic
member of the Committee, including
Mr.. Bryan voted to give t.le sugar
planter the diminished bounty.
Not only this, but when the bill was
pending in the Senate. aud the pros
pect for protection to the sugar indus
try looked dark indeed, Mr.. Bryan not
only offered to vote for an amendment
to place a duty on sugar, but pledged
himself to support such an amendment
with his voice on the floor. On the
ether hand, Mr.. Boatner showed that
Mckinley, for whom the Republicans
are going to vote, put sugar on the
free list and gave a delusive bounty to
the planters, although the planters
and other friends of the industry pro-
tested 1T the time, that it would be
to their interests in the
long run, - it would tend to show the
American people that protection was
really a tax on the people for the ben
eft Of the few engaged in the protect
ed industries. Mr.. Boatner made q
argument and demonstrated to
the satisfaction Of every impartial
mind, that the Democratic Party was
the friend of the people, and that the
Republican Party, on the other hand
was the friend Of plutocracy and trusts
aud s~yndicates.
Congressman Boatncr, was followed
by Mr.. A, +. P1jo, . bright young
Of Calcasien Parish, who had
been prominently mentioned prior to
the Morgan City Convention as q prob
able candidate for the nomination, but
who withdrew il favor Of r. F. Brous-