The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-08-09
THORNTON's THUNDER.

Louisiana's Senior Senator Denounces
H the un-Democratic Tariff Bill
Personal Honor and Duty to State
Superior to Dictates of Partisan
Caucus.
There can be no question, in our
/ judgment, of the admiration and ap-
i proval with which a large majority
/ of the people of Louisiana will view
! the manly utterances OF their senior
/ United States senator, Hon. J. R..
Thornton, in the speech he made on
the pending tariff bill last week.
! The following report OF the sena-
tors argument was transmitted by
/ the Washington eorresp pondent of the
New Orleans Picayune on July 81:
Senator Thornton was the princi-
I pal speaker in the tariff debate in
/ the senate today and make a power
! full argument against the free sugar
schedule of the Underwood Simmons
/ bill. He was given the closest atten-
| ton by both sides of the chamber
and was only interrupted a few
times. He declared the free sugar
!
Louisiana industry.
His was the first speech from with
! in the Democratic party attacking the
bill since it was reported to the sem
ate.
II owe to the people of my state
| far higher measure of devotion than
I owe to the Democratic party he
exclaimed. Honor and duty alike
demand that vote against this bill
While it embodies this provision
Senator Thornton quoted from a
report of the Democratic minority of
the senate on the free sugar bill, i in
July, 1912, which maintained that put
ting sugar on the free list was mot
in keeping with the promises of the
/ Democratic platforms to reduce pres
ent protective duties gradually down
ward and finally to a revenue basis"
This report was signed by such
stalwart tariff for revenue Democrats
as Senators Bailey, Simmons, Stone,
Williams, Kern and Johnson, all Of
whom, with the exception Of the first
named, are still members of the sem
ate," said he.
TT is well known that I noti-
fled the senate Democratic caucus I
could not vote for the Underwood
tariff bill while it contained the free
sugar provision placed in it by the.
house and retained by the senate fl
nance committee, and approved by
/ the caucus and presented to the sen
ate as a Democratic party measure,
! Senator Thornton declared
hold, in the first II1sace, that ID
| my position as d senator Of the state
of Louisiana my primary allegiance
is due to that state, and that would
not be justified in allowing my ac-
tions to be controlled by the party
caucus on any matter that concerned
the vital interest of Louisiana when
such acquiescenee would have the eff
feet of having me vote adversely to
that vital interest.
II hold, in the second place, that
the promises I made to my people on
any given question before they SO
highly honored me by selecting me
for this position are binding on me
in conscience and in honor when
that question comes before me here
for consideration.
Il hold, in the third place, that
when the people of my state have
signified in unmistakable manner
their wishes on any public matter
coming up for action before the body
to which they have accredited me,
it is my bounden duty to carry out
their wishes SO far as / can, and
that irrespective of my own.
Tt has been admitted on the floor
Of the house of representatives, both
by Mr.. Hardwick, chairman of the
subcommittee on ways and means
that took the first testimony on the
subject, and by Mr.. Underwood,
chairman of the fulE committee that
took the last, that free sugar would
destroy the Louisiana sugar industry,
course on sugar because they think
the general welfare will be subserVed
by it.
"It was in recognition of this fact
that President Wilson requested and
obtained the three years of grace that
have been accorded us, in order that
those in Louisiana who have been
and are still dependent on the culti-
walton of cane as their means of live
lihood might have this time in which
to try to make arrangements for their
livelihood in other ways.
II appreciate this consideration on
the part Of the president and thank
him for it in the name of the peo-
pie of Louisiana principallE interest
ed, even while deeply regretting that
he considered it his duty to insist
| on ultimate free sugar, that being
legislation which, in their opinion
and in my own, is neither sanctioned
by the principles of necessity nor the
general welfare nor justice.
| aside from these special reasons
which would prevent me as a repre-
sentative of the state of Louisiana
| from favoring this neWfangled Dems
ocratic doctrine of free sugar, can
say with perfect sincerity I would
feel most hostile to the abolition Of
the sugar duty, not only because of
my Well-knoWn and often-expressed
views in favor of legislation that
would advance the agricultural in
terests of any part of my country,
but because of the tariff policy of the
Democratic party, with which have
been identified since was old
enough to cast my first vote.
ITO me it seems almost incredible
that the great political party which
has always stood SO steadfastly for