The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-14
Gossip ait
the Capital

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Washington, June l3.
Nothing has more disturbed the Demo-
cratic leaders in and out of congress than
the fact that a large number of Demo-
cratic members from the south have,
within the past few days and weeks, cast
their votes in favor of a protecticve tar
iff and that no less than one-third Of the
members of congress from south of Ma
son and Dxon's line have either voted
directly for a high rate of protection in
the pending tariff bill or refused to cast
their votes against it. Thirty-two south
ern men in the house voted for the Ding
ley bill and five others from that section
Populists-refused to vote against 1t,
while in the senate, as is we'll known,
numbers of southern Democrats and Pop
ulists have voted for either higher rates
of protection than were originally placed
in the bill or than those reported from the
senate finance committee.
That this growth of protective senti-
ment Is the south is a genuine one and
largely the result of the development of
manufacturing industries in that section
is apparent, but the necessity for eXcus-
ing and minimizing it has led Mr.. Bryan's
organ, the Omaha World-Herald, and
other papers to assert that the protective
vote from the south is cast by men, not
natives Of that section, and not represent
ing Its real sentiment.
A LAME APOLOGY.
In n recent issue, the Omaha World
Herald, commenting upon this subject,
says: During the last decade, a great
deal of northern capital has been invested
in southern manufacturing enterprises
and it is natural that the investing cap
italists after years Of paternalism in the
shape OF protection should still cling to IT,.
The UnipPS south
lection are voices that have been import
ed into that section from protection nur-
tured New England and are not the
voices of southerners. The pro-
tectionists in the south are those who
have left the sterile hills Of New England
and wandered down south to broaden
their field of operations"
This statement is interesting and es-
pecially so because ii is untrue. Its un-
truthfulness ADDS TO its interest because
| ii shows to what desperate straits the
| Democratic leaders are forced in attempt
| ing by falsehood, as well as otherwise, 10
| rescue the free trade theory from de-
struction by members OF their own party
and by men who have been lifelong men,
bers Of 1t.
EXPOSED.
This assertion that the southern votes
| which have been cast for the protective
| tariff bill or for especially protective fea-
| lures proposed or adopted, were cast by
men not natives of that section-carpet-
| baggers-is absolutely untrue. Five Dem
ocrats voted for the tariff bill in the
house, Kleberg and Slayden, of Texas
and Broussard, pavey and Meyer. Oi
| Louisiana. Six Democrats have voted foI
| high protective features of the bill In the
| senate, Bacon and Clay, OF Georgia; Till
man and McLaurin, of South Carolina
McEnery, of Louisiana, and Martin, OF
Virginia. Every one of these with the
| possible exception of Meyer. OF Louisiana
| who does not indicate his birthplace In
the autobiography published in the con
| gressional directory, Is a native borr
southerner and has lived all his life ir
| that section. Senator McIcnery was borI
atMoaros, La, was nominated by tho
Democratic party as lieutenant governor
in 1878, by the same party for governor II
| 1884, by the same party for governor II
1892, and by the same party for senator
in 1896, being elected as a Democratic
| senator with the clear understanding tha
he was a protectionist In sentiment anC
| would so vote In the senate. Mr. Meyer
OF Louisiana, who voted for the tariff bill
| in the house, has spent practically his en-
tire life in the south. He was educated
in Virginia, serving as a Confederate of
ficer and elected term after term to con
| gress as Democrat. Mr.. Davey, o
Louisiana, who voted for the tariff bill
| in the house, Is native OF Louisiana, helt
various offices in that state as a Demo
crat and was elected to congress as such
Mr.. Broussard, OF Louisiana, who ais
voted for the Dingley bill in the house, 1
| native OF Louisiana, has held many po
sitlons In Louisiana under the Democrati
party and was elected to congress as
Democrat. Mr. Kleberg, OF Texas, VIII
voted for the bill in the house. is a ma
tive OF that state, served in the Confeder
ate army, was elected to the state sen
ate as a Democrat in 1882, held a fedora
Office as a Democrat by appointment o
President Cleveland, and was elected t