The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-07-18
REPUBLICAN RECOGNITION OF
DEMOCRATIC TARIFF DOC
TRlNES.

TRlNES.
Time works wonderous changes,
to say the least, not only in the
ordinary affairs of private life, but
in things political as well. The
Republican party has always ar
rogated to itself the exclusive
policy of protecting American in
dustries. Led by this belief, most
sincerely no doubt, the sugar
planters of Louisiana only few
years ago veered from the Demo-
cratic camp into the Republican
fold. The sugar bounty OF Repu5-
licanism may Or may not then
have been the chief incentive OF
this change of heart, but the
change took place nevertheless
and still continues to this day. The
hayward found no solace to re-
turn to their first teachings be-
cause Democratic administration
gave the sugar bounty laws their
quietus, on grounds OF ,paternal-
ism, discrimination or what not.
In doing SO the Democracy OF the
nation did no more than adhere to
its time-honored. tariff doctrines
and declarations.
The Standardization war, the
pacification of Cuba and the poll
cy of benevolent assimilations'
which has characterized the past
two Republican administrations.
have no doubt, by this time,
caused the average thinking Lou
isiana sugar planter to put on his
thinking cap. Great develop
ments are reported in the sugar
production of the island for the
past two years. Standing on
platform of high protection to
American industries, with Ding
ley tariff to fit the requirements of
the platform, the President of the
United States is a strenuous
champion of reciprocity, with
Cuba. Reciprocity is another
word for free trade. The Cuban
markets are as nothing in COM
parison to the great American
markets for any and all the COM
modities of the island. 1t is not
to our knowledge that the Democ-
racy has ever been the champion
of absolute free trade. The far
thest it ever went in that direction
in recent years at least, q tariff
for revenue only to meet the ex-
penses Of the government honestly
and economically administered.
But reciprocity is an exchange
of commodities; it is practically
free trade between the countries
concerned; and if the sugar plan
tiers of Louisiana abandoned the
Democratic party on account Of its
so-called or alleged free trade ten
denotes, what ought they to do
now that a high tariff Republican
President is using all his great in
fluence to establish reciprocity
laws with the great sugar-produc-
ing island of Cuba? =,
There seems to be no doubt but
that this reciprocity will be firmly
established within very short
time. Our own distinguished son,
Senator M. j. Foster, made a very
gallant fight against these reci-
procity measures, in behalf Of our
sugar industry, in the Senate of
the United States during the last
session of Congress, ably aided
by his colleague, Senator S. D.
McEnery. This is not the first
time, forsooth, that reciprocity
has been the pet hobby of the
Republican party. Long before
the detection OF the Louisiana
sugar planters took place, Presi-
dent Chester A. Arthur established
reciprocity with the Sandwich Is
lands, which largely produced
sugar; and Hon. James q. Blaine
worked hard and necessarily for
reciprocity treaties with South
American Republics.
If the next Presidential cam
paign is to be fought out upon
tariff lines-and there seems to be-
no other substantial issue-it will
look little risible to see the Re-
publican party extol it's high
tariff prosperity in the face of |
these facts. The position of the |
Republican sugar planter in this |
State seems to be getting rather |