The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-01-26

claim that he stood for the fund amental
principle of American and English lib
erty, that every man is innocent until
he has been proven guilty. The prin-
ciple is correctly stated, said Mr..
Spooner, but the South Carolina SEN
ator had belied il in his speech on the
race question by convicting the whole
black race for the offenses Of few
individuals. "We shot 'em, we killed
'em, and we'll do it again." he had
declared in justifying lynching in the
south, and his utteranees were quoted
to show that he had defended the burn
ing of negroes at the stake. "No man
ought to encourage such horrible
thing" said Mr.. Spooner; sit is a
crime against civilization to uphold
it. I have been shocked by the atti-
tude of the senator from South Caro-
lima on more than one occasion when
he has spoken here in support OF lynch
ing. There is one man above others
who should not encourage it-the man
who sits here as the maker of laws. =
Concluding his speech, Mr.. Spooner
said he had looked with admiring eyes
upon the efforts of Gov. Varda man
and the executives of other southern
states to suppress mobs taking the
lives of negroes without giving them
trials for the crimes they were sus-
pected of having committed, and de-
cIared his belief that majority OF the
people of the south did not entertain
the radical views that had been ex
pressed by Senator Tillman. He adj
mitted the difficulties and hardships Of
the race problem in the south, and said
that the people of the north felt that
the best way to aid in the solution of
these difficulties y as for them to refrain
| from discussing them. He did not believe
the agitation of MIR. Tillmau could
have the effect to quiet or improve the
situation, and he knew no better way
to perpetuate the struggle between the
two races than to be constantly and
violently declaring such trouble immi-
nent and unavoidable.
White with anger, Mr.. Tillman gave
notice that he would in the near future
have something to say in answer to
what he termed the insulting illusions
that had been made to him, and he car
ried out this announcement by deliver
ing Enthusiastically vituperative
address last Monday, in the course OF
which he likened the senate to min
strel show and otherwise vented his
| spleen in an unseemly and undigni-
| fed manner, but we doubt if his
| fulminations will break the force of
the castig alton he has received or al
ter the public verdict that he richly
deserves all he got and more to boot.
Better Outlook for the IntercOastal
Canal.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable re.
port of the board of army engineers
on the project to connect the Rio
Grande and Mississippi rivers with a
great intercoastal canal, the prospect
for committing the general government
to the recognition and ultimate con-
struction of the important waterway
is decidedly hopeful.
A Washington special despatch to
the New Orleans Times Democrat,
dated January II, says that "a definite
and final agreement has at last been
reached with respect to the interco astal
canal By the subcommittee of the
rivers and harbors committee, which
has had the matter in hand. The full
committee has agreed to the sub-com-
mittee's report on the case. Under
this agreement the rivers and harbors
bill will carry provisions for the inn
provement of the following sections
which go to make up the whole scheme
of the intercoastal canal: From Frank
lin, La, to the Mermentau, S289, 900;
from Arkansas Pass to Matagora
Bay, Tex, S158, 900; deepening the
Guadalupe river, where the canal
passes its mouth, to Victoria, Tex,
$l51. 900. and the Improvement of the
Brazos- 6 alveston canal on the Texas.
end. Thus approximately 5000, 900 will
be- appropriated for the general
scheme, that sum@being about equally
distributed between Touisiana and
Texas. Those sections of the canal
which the board of army engineers
for rivers and harbors reported
against will be referred back to the
board, in order to maintain their
status as parts of the whole inland
waterway project, thus committing the
government to the scheme as whole. -
Congressman r. F. Broussard of
the third Louisiana district, advised
Mayor Maurin of Donaldsonville that
the board of engineers on Friday last
refused rehearing on the canal ques-
ton, but would adhere TO its favorable
recommend ations as to certain Sec
lions of the waterway, leaving the
other sections for future reconsidera-
ton and report.
Great confidence is felt by the lead
ing promoters of the proposed i'm
provement that the desirability and
Importance of it's construction will
eventually receive peneraf recognition