The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-07-29
STILL MORE TROUBLE
FREE TRADERS DON'T WANT TO
LOSE SOUTHERN VOTES.

They Are Hopelessly Arguing Against
Fate-The Southern Protectfonists'
However, Are Genuine Southerners.
F.. PARSONS, Special Correspondent.
Now that the tariff fight has rounded
up and the South has supplied larger
protective strength than ever before,
the free trade organs are making one
last effort to offset this damaging fact
by renewing their assertions that the
Southern votes cast for protection are
those of Northern men.
OF course nobody who has had an OPP
portunity to examine into the facts is
going to be fooled with this sort OF
statement, but as there are many who
probably have not this opportunity, l
propose to run hastily over the field
and give everyone chance to see for
hmsetlf whether genuine protective
sentiment is or is not growing among
Southern men.
The data from which this statement
is compiled is obtained from official
records, the birthplace and political
record of the men in question being
furnished by themselves in their auto
biographies in the congressional direc-
tory, the statements as to votes cast
being from the Congressional Record.
Five Democrats voted for the tariff
bill in the house, Kleberg and Stay
den, of Texas, and Broussard, Davey
and Meyer, of Louisiana. Six Demo-
Gratis have voted for high protective fea-
lures of the bill in the senate, Bacon
and Clay, of Georgia, Tillman and Nc
Laurin, 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 congress
si"nal directory is native-born South
erner and has lived all his life in that
section.
Senator McEnery was born in Mon
roe, La, was nominated by the Dem
Ocratic party as lieutenant governor in
1879, by the same party for governor in
1884, by the same party for governor in
1892. and by the same party for senator
in 1895, being elected as a Democratic
senator with the clear understanding
that he was protectionist in senti-
ment and that he would so vote in the
senate. Mr.. Meyer, of Louisiana, who
voted for the tariff bill in the house,
has spent practically his entire life in
the South educated in Virginia, serv-
ing as a Confederate officer and elected
term after term to congress as Demo-
crat. Mr.. Davey, of Louisiana, who
voted for the tariff bill in the house.
is a native of Louisiana, held various
offices in the state as Democrat and
was elected to congress as such. Mr.
Broussard, of Louisiana, has held many
positions in Louisiana under the Dem
ocratic party. and was elected to con-
gress as Democrat. Mr.. Kleberg, of
Texas, who voted for the bill in the
house is native Of that state, served
in the Confederate army, was elected
to the state senate in 1882, held fed
eral Office as Democrat by appoint
ment of President Cleveland, and was
elected to congress as Democrat. Mr..
Slayden, of Texas, who is native of
Kentucky, was elected to the Texas
legislature as Democrat, yet voted for
the Dingley bill in the house. Sem
ator McLaurin, of South Carolina, who
voted for high protection in the Ding
ley bill in the ways and means COM
mittee and voted for a.high rate of pro-
lection in the house and in the senate
on certain features Of the bill, is ma
tive of South Carolina, was elected at
torney general of that state as a Demo
crat, and four times elected to congress
as a Democrat. Senator Tillman, of
South Carolina, who voted for high
rate of protection on cotton, and thus
enabled its adoption by the senate, is
a native of South Coralina, was NOM
mated for governor in that state by the
Democratic convention, and elected to
the senate of the United States as
Democrat. Senator Bacon, of Georgia,
who led the successful fight for the pro-
lection of cotton, and also voted with
the Republicans for high rate of pro-
lection on lumber, is a native of GeOr-
gia, was president of the state Demo-
cratic convention in 1880, elected q
Democratic presidential elector in 1868,
was a Democratic member Of the Geor-
gia house of representatives for IA
years, and was elected to the United
State senate as Democrat. Senator
Clay, of the same state, who voted
with Mr.. Bacon for protection to cotton
o,1 l,,,,, hor &c leo q rofsuo 0f
was chairman of the state Democratic
executive committee and still holds
that position and was elected to the
senate as Democrat. Senator Martin !,
of Virginia, voted with the Re-
publicans for high protection on lum-
Der. He is native of Virginia, and
his Democracy has never been ques-
toned. Senator Butler, of North Car
olina, who voted not only for protection
to cotton but has sundry other high
protection amendments to the tariff
bill now pending, is native of North
Carolina, was a Democrat prior to
1892, since which he has been Popu-
list and is now chairman of the nation
al committee of that party. Five
Southern Populists in the house refused
to vote against the protective tariff
bill, Fowler, Martin, Shuford, Skinner
and Strowd, of North Carolina, all of
them being natives of the state they
now represent.
1t is thus apparent from the exam
ination of the personal history of the
Democrats from the South who have
voted for the protective features of the
tariff bill, that in every case they are
natives of that section and lifelong
Democrats, and that of the six Southern
Pnnnlists who voted for or refused To