New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-01-28
THE ENTERPRISE
LOUISIANA IN THE NEW
CONGRESS,

Advicas from Washington md
cate that two of the most impor.
Iant chairmanships in the new Cor
gresS are 10 @ to Loujsianan>
making up, at least III part, fo
the disappointment which is fel
Iamong the sugar. rice and Ium
ber Interests over the dispIacr
meut Of Mr., BrouSsard on tn
equally important Ways ant
Means.
| The chairman will be Mr.. Puj
on the Banking and Currenc,
Committee, and Mr.. Ransdell o.
the Rivers and Harbors, and the.
will be the first chairmrn the Stat,
has had. we believe. since ex-Goy
Blanchard headed the Rivers an,
Harbors.
Mr.. Pujo is the ranking Demo
crat Of the Banking and Currency
Committee and no one apparently
is to contest his promotion. His
prominence has heratoforl been
recognized in his appointment as
a member of the joint committee
which for several years has been
studying the whole question Of the
currency and his ability and fl
ness will not therefore be ques-
toned.
Mr.. Ransdell is not the rank
ing Democrat on the Rivers and
Harbors, Mr.. Sparkman, who rep
resents a district down on the
Florida peninsula, preceded him 4,
but he has two convincing advant-
ages. The chief reason why MIR.
Broussard has been punished is
the fact that he was one of the
twenty-one who seeded from the
party organization to aid the
Speaker in the strcssful right over
the rules. Mr.. Sparkman was
another and his transgresslon is
not likely 10 be forgotten. That
is one reason why Mr.. Ransdell
has the better chance to go to the
top Of the list. The other is his
profound knowledge Of rivers and
harbors ard his national pre-
eminence in the movement for
their improvement
According to the Washington
correspondents there is a dispos
ton in some Democratic circles,
chiefly Tammany, to rebel against
the discrimination which, it is al
legged. is being shown in favor OF
in parcelling out the
chairmanships. That springs
only, however. from instances in
which Democrats not legitimately
in the line Of succession are to be
transferred to committees Of
which they are not members and
made chairmen thereof. 1t prob
ably has no reference to the ap-
preaching elevation of the two
Louisanians.
The protected interests for
personal and many of the people
of the State for sentimental rea-
sons will regret to see the elmina-
ton Of Louisiana and Mr.. Brous-
sard from the Ways and Means
1t was inevitable.
however, from the time when the
election returns made it
certain that the House would be
Democratic by a decisive major
ity. Tariff revision downward,
not upward. as represented by the
Aldrich bill. was the dominant
issue in the campaign and with
by the country of prin-
ciples fought for by Mr.. Clark and
his followers. it was scarcely to
be expected that Democrat from
who had boldly main
tained the right Of the industries
of his State to protection would
remain undisturbed in his mem
on the committee or that
any other Louisianian, in the light
Of what occurred during the recent
special legislative session. was
likely to be selected to fill the
vacancy.
DISPATCHES from Washington
several days ago represented Mr..
Broussard as having declared to
.he caucus that the effect of the
Injustice to Louisiana in his re
noval from the committee would
,e to send the State into the Re
publican column. 1t is fair to as
'ume that the Third District Con
.ressman was misquoted or that
le spoke in the heat Of indigna-
ion over what he considered un-
air treatment Of himself and his |
We have felt that |
ooner or later there would have
o be fought out here the question
f whether the majority Of the
,eople of Louisiana are for a pro-
ective tariff or against it: but
ve have never felt that there |
would be serious doubt of the re- /
ult. and if there is any senii-
nent among the masses of the peo-
,le of Louisiana for a change of
heir political allegiance 10 the
'arty under which Anglo Saxon
utilization in the South has been |
it has not made itself |
vident to our observation. and |
We are sure. not to Mr.. Brous-
-,