The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-04-24
Al ms OF SUBSCRIPTION.
LET TH1 REPUBLICANS LEGISLATE

In Advance.
EET THE REPUBLICANS LEGISLATE
In this government by the people.
common sense teaches, and curnational
love for fair play prompts, that the
wifi If the majority must be submitted
TO. The majority Of the voters of this
country very recently declared for the
Republican policy Of protection, to all
American industries. We would be
presenting too much to assume that
the majority did not know what they
were voting for when they voted for
protection to ali American industries.
Hnmpering all legislation e%manating
from Republican Omce do no
good to the Democratic party, and
will do a great deal Of harm to the
country.
A Republican tariff bill will be
passed and as long az the inevitable
must happen what seiIse a there be
in delaying its passage3 All Repub
lican tariff bills show special favors to
u few, and are directly or indirectly
harmful to the majority; but it the
majority want it and can stand it, well
let them have it. The Dingley Bill is
no worse than ether Republican tariff
billie. 1t is no worse than the Mckinley
Bill, and ii it were defeated it would
be 40 worse thanthe next bill that the
Republicans would pass, aud the
chances are that it will be of much
greater benefit % tile leading indus
tries Of y large section of this State
than it's successor would be.
So far as we are concerned we are
unallerably opposed to the principle
OF protection as defined by the Rerub
lean party. Protection TO all Ameri
can industries is an rides cent dream
that can never and will never be-
realized. The whole plan has for its
foundation the theory Of .'robbing
Peter to pay Pauln and depends for its
perpetnity ON the good nature Of Peter
in allowing himself to be continually
and perslstently robbed. If sugar is
protected by a duty Of-ors-cent-and-a
half. some body has to pay for that
protection and that somebody is the
home consumer who pays iG in the
advanced price of sugar. When
locally considered projection Is a good
thing for the industries protected.
but on a broader view it is seen to be
u delusiOn aud a snare-a tissue Of
implacticable theories that can never
be carried to their logical conclusion.
The COURIER believes that the only
COVE rDmenial policy that can with
stand the test Of time and trial is that
which has come down to us from
Jefferson -,hs Democratic idea of a
tariff for only. The Democra,
tic idea must eventually take eter-
nal root in the minds Of the people Of
the United States, for it emb1lics the
true elements If Sense, justice and
Americanism. But il must be borne
in mud that the Diugley Bill Is not
of Democratic creation. The Demo-
cratic party is not responsible for it.
Ii it proves II failure, the blame will
rest on Republican shoulders, for it is
fashioned after Republican ideas, aud
these same Republican ideas were
indotsed last November, by q majority
Of the voters Of this county.
Amy brOad-minded man must admit,
therefore, that our congressman could
vote Tor the bill without in the least
deserving the cpnsure that Congress-
men Broussard, Davey and Meyer
were the recipients Of from a few
ulsra-free-trade gOld-bng newspapers
that are about as tar ou1 Of line with
the Democratic party on the leading
issue, the money question, as they can
well get.
The bill these congressman voted
for is not OffI,eir making. 1t is not as
good ) bin IL they could have framed;
but il 10 che best for Louisiana that d
Republican administration can DO ex-
pectsd 70 give, and not worse for the
conntry 10 general tllan they nigh /
give, ~ any worse. with all Of It's i'm.
psrtections, than tile miserable make
slsiit Known ae the Wilson Law.
II the sugar industry aud rice indus
tFg are . be amOng the number spe.
ciaI.y favored why should DemoclatI,
C~ongfessmen from the sugar and rice
districts 81 Louisiana feel called ppol
y oppose ths bill II Republican
tariff legislation u q grab game, VIII
can say Lllat sac Pelican State is no
entitled Is is gfaA