Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-09
VOICES or THE PRESS.
Tho Conversion Of Louisiana.
(Mail and Express.)

1
| The great gathering of New Orleans
Democrats, which last night formally
| welcomed home United States Senator
| McEnery after his labors at Washington
| on the tariff bill, was remarkable trip-
ute by the democracy to a leading citizen
who had deliberately broken away from
! the party traditions of his state. Eut ~
| was something more than a personal IN
| dorsement. 1t was one of the most sig
| nificant of recent political events IN the
| South, making formal Acknowledgements,
| as it did, Of an economic revolution
| which is slowly but surely overturning
the creed of generations and shattering
the idols of IA dead past.
| Louisiana Is on the eve of read1ust-
ment of party lines, for which the sugar
growing and manufacturing interests of
the state are responsible 1t has deliber-
ately reversed itself on the tariff. and en-
tered the list of protective champions.
and IL must follow, as the night the day,
that state which finds its material pro-
gress dependent upon a protective tariH
will in the near future abandon It's tree
silver advocacy as entirely out of har-
mony with such tariff. Protection de-
mands sound money as a correlative. and
in the absence of the latter must faii in
the purpose for which Ii is instituted.
This fact Senator McEnery, who Is
free silver man, viii eventually come TO
acknowledge. Meanwhile, his stand In
voting for the Dingley bill, and his In
dorsement by his party In New Orleans
last night for this action. indicate the
new position that must shortly be as
sumed by every manufacturing state OF
the South and retire the tariff for an in
definite time from national politics. The
chief strength of Senator MeEnery lies
in his absolute consistency-in which ne
differs from any other Democratic MEM
bers of the Senate. AS he himself pointed
out in his response TO the welcome ac-
corded him. his partv's senators from
Kentucky, Florida. Georgia and South
Carolina strongly favored the protection
of interests of Importance to their vari-
Gus states. but having labored Tor Inc IN
clusion of such items, deliberately voted
against the bill "a wboie-bceause, tor
sooth, they knew the bill would pass in
any event, and they desired 10 be straight
on the party record.
A meaningless compromise of this sort,
barren of principle. finds no place In the
political creed of the senator from Louis
lana. Elected on May y, 1896. as COM
premise candidate by "A legislature hope
lessly deadocked, In his absence. he sur
prised the free traders by AN unPrece-
dented declaration on December Is last,
when In an interview he said:
/ viii throw no obstacle In the way Of
the Republicans In tariff legislation |
viii support "a measure proposed by any
party II It will help this country. If
high tarin Will give the required or more
than the required amount of revenue
Will favor a bill of that kind. Louisiana
favors legislative protection for It's in
dustries. and | viii favor a measure that
viii give Louisiana her share.
As to voting for the bill rs a whole, as
well as for the items OF special interest
to his state, he said last nlghs
/ secured the protection ~e desired, and
did not intend TO lose by taking any
chances of the defeat Of the bin. Nor
was | willing To ask for Louisiana what
would not grant to other states.
Herein is found the consistency which
L. IA
tors referred TO. He would not deny to
other states what he demanded for his
own. In his December interview. when
asked whether he would demand a tree
silver rider 10 the tariff biil he replied:
No. 1t would be simply a plan for
blocking legislation. and as | have stat
ed | am not in favor of blocking tariff
cnactments the Republicans propose TO
make.
Here, too. Is a rebuke to the past OBJ
structive threats and tactics of the silver
Republicans. Senator McEnery Is true to
his state; bur ne is equally true to his
country, and finds Justification for his
stand in that clause Of the federal con-
stilution which empowers il to lay and
collect taxes and duties for the common
defense and general welfare OF the Uni
ted States. And when the democracy OF
New Orleans Endorses the broadcast and
highest ground ne has taken, there is
true cause to rejoice.
Last nights demonstration is a suffi-
cient answer to the persistent attacks
upon the senator. 1t Is a sufficient guar
antee of where Louisiana Is to be found
in the future on the question of protec-
ton. II is an emphatic promise that high
principle, as well as selfish interest, has a
place In the economic policies of the
South, and supplies needed example in
political morality to other states which
send men of the Tillman stripe to occupy
seats in the nations highest Legislative
council.