The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-20


district. These people are erecting a
sawmill, the magnitude of which can
be imagined from the statement that
the plant is to be mile in length, will
saw 800, 900 feet Of lumber q day, and
is to be the largest saw mill in the
world. Sufficient pine lands have been
secured to keep this immense plant in
operation forty years. It is estim ated
that Bogalusa within years. time
will have apopu1ation of 1000 souls
and their families. Remove the present
tariff on lumber and you decreas the
earning capacity OF this proposed
plant approximately three hundred
and sixty thousand dollars per annum
fourteen millions, four hundred
thousand dollars for the time to be
consumed in clearing the company IS
holdings. Under such prospect
Bogalusa would die a-borning, two
thousand homes with every con-
venience, to be rented for the accom-
mod alton of TO, 900 people at an income
to the company Of four per cent, would
not be built, and instead Of the buzz
Of the saw, the stately mill and the
beautiful city, the primeval forest
WOulQ remain.
l have spoken Of the lumber bust
ness because, being a lumberman, /
am more familiar with conditions
affecting that industry, but the illus
tration applies as we'll to all the other
leading industries of our district and
state. I recall that during the second
Cleveland administratio my parish,
Iberville, had one bank within its con-
fines with capital stock and surplus
Of S64 1000 and deposits of about the
same amount. Today there are five
banks in Iberville parish with a com
bined capital and surplus amounting
to $500, 900 and with deposits at this,
the highest season OF the year, OF over
half million dollars. These banks
are lending money at reasonable rates
to many business enterprises, half a
hundred 81 which would be wiped out
if the troub.ous times of 1893 should
return.
What has been said for the, lumber
man and the banker and the borrower,
applies to the sugar and rice planter;
to the cotton planter, who gets the
benefit of the protection on manufac-
sured cotton goods: to the farmer,
who has seen his farm double ia value
and has enjoyed a ready market for
anything he could grow; to the la
borer, who has seen a premium placed
upon his daily toll; to the producer
Of wealth in any and every form. In
this last category no state or section
of the Union stands ahead of Louisi-
ana, where the soil is admirably
adapted to varied and high-class
products, and where thrifty and in
dustrious people have made every
effort to get the utmost out of mother
earth.
Protection TO American industries is
the cardinal principle Of the Republi.
can party, the principle il which our
state probably has the greatest inter-
est, There is yet another principle of
the Republican party which goes hand
in hand with the principle of pro-
lection, and that is internal improve
ments. Our people have never come
to full realization OF the Importance
OF internal improvements because we
have never been adequately repre-
sented at Washington, yet We are as
much interested in this principle as
we are in protection.
To argue that the Democratic party
is in favor of internal Improvements
is to argue q political paradox. The
Democratic party declares for a tariff
for revenue only, to meet the necessary
running expense Of the government.
Internal improvements have no place
in the scheme Of such an administra-
ton Of national affairs. The Repub-
lican party, on the contrary, decla
for high tariff -protection to indus
tries and plenty of revenue-this
revenue, after meeting the expense of
government economically admins
tered, to be distributed through the
country in the shape of internal i'm
provements.
In pursuance Of this policy the Re-
publican party is engaged in improv-
ing the waterways of the country, re-
claiming the arid lands of the west
and building the Panama Canal. Lou
isiana has not received her share in
this distribution Of surplus revenue
for the simple reason that it is i'm
possible under our party system for
Democrats to secure from Republic
can congress for Democratic constit-
uents what Republicans have to fight
SO hard to get for Republican consult
uents.
This subject affects not only the inn
provements to the Mississippi river
and other streams and waterways OF
but applies likewise to the
levees OF the Mississippi river. Con-
the fact that our people have
been returning Democrats to congress
for years, thereby expressly declaring
against internal Improvements, the
Rnnnhlinan r.txr
eral IN assisting in building levees.
But this is not sufficient: it is as much |
,he duty OF the national government
20 assume the complete control and |
of levee building, thereby |
protecting the fertile lands of the val |
ey, as it is the governments duty to |
'eclaim the arid lands of the west.
The Republican party is the party J
ofcapacity and has the means for large |
such as The building of |
he levees OF the Mississippi river.
President Roosevelt has declared his
for the proposition, and |
other big men in the party have done
rs much. 1t is my deliberate opinion
hat II we sent Republicans TO congress
md thereby attested our belief in the
principle OF internal Improvements,
~ hard work and close application to
he subject, our Republican represent
tive could convince his colleagues
# the Republican majority that the
atlonaI government should take over
ontrol OF The leyees forming the vast
mississippi river protective system.
Consider our levee tax in Louisiana
lad what a burden it means to our
,eople. Measure, if possible, the re-
lef that would come to us If the gov
rnment assumed this burden, thereby
'lacing it on the whole country, where