The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1913-08-16
THE THIRD DISTRICT AND
CONGRESS.

~ 0. States:
Chairman Lewis, of the Democratic
State Central Committee, more cor
rectly diagnoses what is going to hap
pen in Louisiana as result of the pas
sage of the Democratic tariff bill than
Mr.. Jules GodchauX, chairman of the
Third District committee, who, in an
nouncing the candidacy CT Mr.. E. A.
Pharr for Congress, forecasts reyolu-
ton against the Democracy which will
put the Republican party in power.
We rather believe with Mr.. Lewis
that, while there will be a revival of
the movement of the early '90s to dis
rupt the Democratic party on the
ground that industrial Louisiana will
suffer from the operation of the new
tariff, the great bulk of out white peo-
pie will continue to stand for the party
of constitutional government and that
they will regard the question of the
imposition of the tariff tax upon any
particular commodity manufactured
here or imported into this country "as
a question purely temporary and To-
CAL"
Mr.. Godchaux, who is and has been
Republican, and therefore not in a po-
sition to give Democrats advice, charges
that Democracy having broken faith
with Louisiana, she ought now to turn
her back on Democracy and join the
Republican party with it's record of
support of measures that have re-
bounded to the best interests of this
section"
If politics was purely a question of
commercialism and not of principle,
what Mr.. Godchaux says would carry
considerable weight, if considered sole
ly from the standpoint of those whose
investments are In the sugar business.
But remembering what the Republican
party cost Louisiana in blood and treas
ure in the past and knowing that it
stands to-day as it has always stood
for the enrichment of the classes at
the expense of the masses, Louisian.
ians, and especially those not engaged
in the sugar industry, will think twice
before they break with the party which
saved them their civilization and which
in its principles represents their con-
yictions of government.
We are perfectly willing to concede
that Louisiana would he better off If
she had a strong minority party, and
such party would seem to be espec-
tally desirable as a refuge for those
who profess to be Democrats but at
heart are not But the Republican
party will have to learn the great les
son of the last campaign and modify
its attitude toward the masses before
it can ever hope to attract to its per-
manent support in Louisiana any con-
siderable number of people.
Notwithstanding what Mr.. Godchaux
says, it is unlikely that the recent
meeting at New Iberia foreshadows
any serious Democratic detection, even
in the Third District. We believe Con-
gress is unjust in departing from an
economically sound party policy and in
legislating against sugar to the extent
of the probable extinguishment of the
industry in this state. We are sure
this policy is to result in great deal
of temporary sufferings in some Sec
tons of Louisiana. But no policy
which seeks to level the high tariff
walls, built around this country to the
grave injury of the consuming masses,
can fail to bring relief to the people as
a whole, however hurtful it may be
in some individual cases, as of the
sugar industry, until there is an ad.
justment to the new conditions.
If the sugar industry is destroyed
Louisiana eventually will find some
other industry to take its place; and
she owes too much to the Democratic
party and she too truly believes in the
of that party as opposed to
the principles of the Republican party
to assume that she will change her po-
litical faith because in working out
great problem the party leaders have
deemed it prudent to strike at one of
her industries.