The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-08-01
Louisiana Senator Says Free
Sugar Means Bankrupts
i'm His State
NO VOTE UNTIL
SEPTEMBER 1st
Senatoh Gronna Attacks Discrimination
Against Farmers in the Northwest
Leaders Restless Over Prospect of
Long Speeches and Delay.


Long Speeches and Delay.
WASHINGTON, Aug 1.-The fea-
ture of the tariff situation in the Sen
ate yesterday was the announcement
by Senator Thornton of Louisiana at
the conclusion Of a long speech attack
ing free sugar that he would not sup
port the Underwood Simmons tariff bill
in the form in which it came from the
finance committee.
The day in the Senate apart from
the tariff bill was devoted entirely to
speech making. No progress was made
in the consideration of the paragraphs
of the bill. The Senate still hangs on
the paragraphs in the schedule relating
to earths and earthernware, and this
will probably take the remainder Of
the present week
Senator Gronna of North Dakota, a
progressive Republican, also addressed
the Senate in opposition to the bill. He
attacked 1T as a discrimination against
the farmers Of the Northwest and in
dicated that the farmers along the
Canadian border of the Northwest who
supported President Wilson in the last
campaign would take the first oppor-
tariff bill
Senator Thornton informed the Sen
ate that he held his first duty to the
people of his state
Il owe to the people of my state
n far higher measure of devotion than
owe to the Democratic party, said
the senator. - cannot vote for the
passage of the present bill while it car
ries the free sugar provision without
personal dishonor and the attendant
loss Of my own self-respect as well as
I the respect of the people Of my state
and of my brother senator's
He quoted from the resolutions
adopted by the Louisiana state conven-
/ tiOn of the Democracy that selected
delegates to the Baltimore convention
last year IN which Democrats of Lou
Isiana declared against free sugar. He
also quoted from the report made by
4 the Democrats on the finance committee
IN the last Congress i'll which they op-
posed free sugar and declared for a
revenue duty.
Sugar has been always held in the
past by the Democratic party to be Il
subject most eminently fitted for the
imposition of a revenue tax, and it is
Just as much fitted now as ii has been
in the past, he said. "|It is not cor
rect Democratic doctrine to hold other
wise. | am not false to the principles
OF the Democratic party in refusing to
follow 1t along the strange and devious
pathway it is now pursuing in regard
to the tariff on sugar. / am true to
these principles and it is the Demo
cratic party itself that is seeking to
depart from them.
Il hold that the Democratic party
owes more to the state of Louisiana
than Louisiana owes to the Democra-
tie party. repeat that the Democratic
platform adopted at Baltimore never
demanded expressly or inferentially
the total abolition of the duty on su-
gar
Senator Thornton called on Senators
Kern, O German. Walsh, Martin, Pom
creme and Clarke, all of whom were
members of the platform committee at
Baltimore. to explain to the Senate
why the platform had been departed
from. Then he quoted from a speech
of Senator John Sharp Williams in
which that senator admitted that free
sugar Will dlsmantIe every sugar house
IN Louisiana, and he said:
And this confiscation of property
with the resultant bankruptcy Of SO
many which will be its effect, is
wrought by the Democratic party while
the people of my stric ken state look
despalringly on while they are being
slaughtered in the house Of those who
should be their friends. Oh, the pity
of it, Oh, the shame of it,
Democratic leaders were somewhat
restless yesterday over the continued
delay in eXpediting the bill. No one
conversant with the situation now be
lieves that a vote can be had in the
Senate by August Is. Most of the
Democrats will be satisfied if they car
! get vote by September /.
Every effort is being put forward OF
the Democratic side to keep dowr
speechmakin and hasten the passage
Of the bill. 1t was said positively yes
terday on behalf of the administration
leaders in the Senate that no agree
ment would be entered into with the
Republicans in the interest of expedit
i ing the tariff bin which involved post
poning currency legislation until the
next session.
Several speeches are scheduled fo1
today and tomorrow on the Republican
side. Senator Penrose of Pennsylvani;
intends to make long speech.