The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-08-18
PLEA FOR ROBERTSON.
Gov. Blanchard Gives His Reasons for Fa-
vorIng the Reelection of the sixth
District Congressman.

eral interest The Chief aceords space
to the reasons advanced by the gov
=ernor for supporting Congressman
Robertson for reelection:
s.Col. Robertson and I have beenelose
personal and political friends for twenty
years. served in congress with him
for years. tt is, therefore, quite nat
#ural that I should prefer him to Judge
Favrot, with whom I have only a
slight acquaintance and who was
ranged up with the opposition to me
when I sought state Office.
In my personal capacity, exereis-
ing the right which any citizen has, /
have written some six or eight letters
to personal friends in Robertson's in
terest. / have also mentioned his
candidacy favorably to a few of my
personal friends. Of those written to
and spoken to I can recall but one
who holds an appointive Office, and
the letter to him was as to a personal
friend and not an appointee.
Since Judge Favrot has. by attack
ing me. provoked it, I will tell him
why. I think Col. Robertson should be
retukned to congress.
IT IS a mistake to suppose that only
the people of a given congressional
district are interested in who goes to
congress from such district. The peo-
pie Of the whole state have a direct in
teress IN this. While elected from po-
litieaI subdivisions known as con-
gressional districts, those sent to con-
gress from Louisiana are representa-
tives in congress from the state Of
Louisiana. They hold the states
commission. They are sent there to
5legisIate for the best interest of the
whole state, and, indeed, of all the.
United States. The work in congress
IS done principally in the committees.
The lower house of congress does little
more than carry out what has already
been agEeed u IN Ssssssisai ssssasiis tee The
committees are, therefore, very i'm
portant. Places upon the more in
portant committees are eagerly sought
for. Assignments upon committees OF
highest Importance and greatest power
are made Of men Of long service and
experience.
.sThe committees OF the house Of
representatives. Of greatest Importance
TO Louisiana are, ways and means,
appropriations, rivers and harbors,
commerce and naval affairs. I have
named them in the order OF Importance
to the state. The leading committees
of the house are ways and means and
appropriations. On ways and means
we have Robertson. This committee
deals with all questions of the tariff
and taxation. Louisiana, with her
sugar and rice and timber, should al
ways have a place on this committee.
If Robertson is defeated the state
loses her membership on the commit
tee. Judge Favrot could not hope for
an assignment on this committee un-
der ten years Of service.
Louisiana has no member OF the
appropriations committee. It is to be
regretted she has not, for there are in
the state large customhouse, mint
and other federal institutions.
" ith the Mississippi river and
our other numerous rivers and har-
bors, and our need for levee building,
we want a man on the rivers and har-
bors committee and we have him in
Ransdell. With the largest city and
greatest commercial port in the south,
we need man On the commerce COM
mittee. and We have him in DaveY.
" ith the mouth OF the great river in
our state, and the need of a great ma
val dock, we want man on the naval
affairs committee and we have him in
Meyer.
Would it be a sensible thing for
Louisiana to retire any one Of these
Representatives when by so doing the
state would lose membership on COM
mittees of such value TO the state2
Judge Favrot charges that Col.
Robertson has done nothing in con-
gress. AS I served SO many years in
congress with Robertson, let me an
sWer the charge
Al Baton Rouge, the largest city
IN the district, and the only place in
the district where the federal courts
hold sessions, IS fine public building
which aceommod ates the federal courts
and the postodiee. Who is entitled to
the credit for putting It there? Col.
Robertson.
In the upper part of the city of.
Baton Rouge is the beautiful site of
the Louisiana State University, en-
bracing some hundred and odd acres.
E formerly belonged to the federal
government aud had been an army
post.
It was granted and transferred by
act Of congress to the state Of Louis
lana for the University Who IS en-
titled mainly for the credit OF the pas
sage OF this act? Robertson
Through the state of Louisiana
flows the Mississippi river. Protec-
tfoa from floods Of the river, not only