Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-13
A Notable Event.

A gathering, which may be safely called
the most interesting and notable of its
kind ever held in this country, took place
in New Orleans last week Wednesday eve
ming. The occasion was the return to his
home in that city of Senator McEnery of
Louisiana at the conclusion of the session
of Congress. The meeting took the form
OF a reception to the Senator held in the
spacious grand opera house. Its purpose
was to give an enthusiastic endorsement
to the Senator for his Independent course
in voting for the Dingley tariff bill, re-
gardless of party lines. What makes the
occasion notable is the fact that it was not
a meeting of Republicans which received
the Senator with enthusiastic thanks and
commendation. 1t had indeed been sug-
gested by the Republicans Of New Orleans
that they should take part in the gather
ing and make it non-partisan; but the
Democrats of Louisiana desired to show
unmistakably to every one what their
views were on protection and it was there
fore kept strictly meeting of Southern
Democrats.
From thu long list published of promi-
nent men who took part, and wished to be
counted in in public way, it appears that,
included among them were Chief Justice
Nichols, twice elected governor of the
state by the Democrats; Justices Miller,
Blanchard, Watkins and Breaux, and the
entire supreme court, consisting of Judges
King, Ellis, Rightor, Theard, Ogden, Ba T.
ker, Noise, Ferguson and Voorhies; til e
entire circuit and district judiciary, Con =
gressmen Meyer and Davey, eX-Congress-
men Wilkinson, Buck, Logan, and all the
Democrats who have ever represented New
Orleans in the House of Representatives /;
the chairman of the Democratic state con-
troll committee; the presidents of all the
Democratic ward clubs, all the United
States officials resident in New Orleans,
the police officials of the city, Democratic
state senators, and with two exceptions
the entire Democratic delegations in the
state legislature, nearly all the prominent
state officials, and all the recorders, assess
ors and other Democratic officials of New
Orleans, members of the city council and
the presidents of all but one of the nation
al and state banks. This list might be ex-
tended to great length, but it is long enough
to prove that this was a representative
Democratic gathering.
In his formal address Senator McEnery
uttered no word of apology for his vote on
the Dingley bill. Rather he explained
that his vote was given in accordance with
the instructions he had received from his
party, and he declared that he had consid-
cred only the welfare of his own state and
of the country. This is what he is quoted
as saying, in substance:
Coming to Louisiana, Senator McEnery
declared that the last Democratic state con-
venton which elected delegates to the Chi
cago convention declared for protection,
and in acting as he did in the Senate and
voting for the Dingley bill he merely car
ried out the instructions of the Louisiana
Democracy. He found his Democratic
companions in the United States quite
ready to vote for protection to their home
industries, but unwilling to favor the in
dustries of other states. The Democratic
senator from California voted for a high
tariff on borax, because California is a
borax- producing state. The Democratic
senator from Kentucky earnestly worked
and voted for protection for wood alcohol
and the Democratic senators from Florida,
Georgia and South Carolina favored the
protection of rice, lumber and other local
interests.
"Why did they aid and assist in making
the bill protective and then vote against
it?" he asked. "The interests that were
advocated would have been lost by defeat
of the bill. l voted for the interests OF
Louisiana. l secured the protection we de,
sired, and l did not intend to lose it by
taking any chances of the defeat of the
bill. Nor was 1 willing to ask for Louis.
lana what would not grant to Other
states.
81 ask where is the undemocratic prin
ciple in standing squarely upon the sonsti.
tuition of the country; in advocating Its
principles in accordance with the views OF
Jefferson, Monroe, Madison, Jackson,
Tilden, and l may add to these illustrious
names that of Hancock; in maintaining
the Democratic platforms of 1884, 1885
and of 1896 in following to the letter the
instructions in the state Democratic plat
form of 1896? But independent of party
platforms and principles, when the inter,