Lower coast gazette., 1909-03-20
SATURDAY MARCH 18TH, 1909.
Thanks Are Due to congressman Estopinal ana
BrOuSSard

.Qaite a discussion has developed over tha course pursued oy
Messrs. Estopinal and Broussard in their votes against the pro-
posed change in the rules OF Congress that has been Wageo ny VII
Republican revdters or insurgents with whom Democracy genel-
ally are cooperating in order to harass the stand PAT kepup",
cans. The Democrats have threatened to read Messrs. Estoplnal
and Broussard out of the Democratic Party because they refused
to vote as the other Democrats did and as did a strong conthseht
Of the Republicans. Messrs. Estopinal and broussard od not eT
ter into the Democratic caucas and therein pledge themselves 10
stand by the decisions of the majority of the caucus. II such an
issue had been forced upon them they would have withdrawn from
the caucus or have been excused from the pledge upon their plea
of home conditions.
The trouble in this whole matter is the general lack of under
standing as to what constitutes Democracy, Those familiar VIVA
the matter know that it means governmental control by Inc people,
individually considered, whereas the party opposed to Democracy
and for a generation taking the original name OF the Democratic
Party, calling itself the Republican Party, is exactly antlpoqal as
compared with the Democratic Party, as til is the party OF cen
traization and of combination, the party that believes IN the con:
troll Of the few, and not of the whole people, in fact the arstos
cratic party. In the final analysis Of party government we must
reach these conclusions.
Minor issues are lugged into the battle between the parties
and these are frequently COMPOUNDED with underlying party pr1qcl-
pies. Sixty years ago most of the great aboitionists OF New Eng
land were Democrats, John G. Whittier wrote an ode to Democ-
racy. William Cullen Bryant was a Democrat, Later they went
into the Republican Party because the abolition OF slavery and the
issues of the war became paramount matters with them. The doc
trine of free trade took possession OF some Democrats, \but not OF
all of them, and not with any of them sufficiently to produce war
issues, Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the Democratic Party,
tnen CdVeu III nepuUuGdH IdIIy, Ill HE PuolS "ii"iSo' eo'oS"'N
a tariff so adjusted as to lead to the manufacture at home of these
things we needed and to reduce our dependence upon foreign man.
pfacturers,
Messrs, Estopinal and Broussard represent Southern Louisiana
whose great sugar and rice interests are threatened by adverse
legislation and as representative men it became their duty to pre-
tect these industries by every fair means, They could not be ex-
pected to Join in a schisrn in the Republican Party when no reward
lay for them and while the welfare Of their own people at home
were in great peril. We believe in majority rule as the only safe
guard of Democracy, but not in industrial suicide. Unhappy fol
mc nc Dornoorofc wa hove como nrankS in Onr own partV anC
whether it be free silver or free-trade they preach, these are not
the foundation stones of pure Democracy. Then let us give
thanks to Messrs. Estopnal and Broussard for standing true t
their own people,