The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-08-16

and riceless.
ASK any Of the mothers in this
audience what it would mean il to-
morrow you could not buy sugar in .
the United States of America. I be- T
lieye it would bring more trouble to
the housewife than any war that +
could ever happen in this country.
my friends, I am a Democrat I
look down into the faces of some of
my old friends here, who went to
school with me away back, more |
years ago than they or / care to
mention here. During all that time, as
they will testify, (and it was neces-
sary for some of us to become Dem
ocrats pretty early in life), l have
been a consistent Democrat. | am a
consistent Democrat today talking
as southern Democrat, with the
right to so talk and to assail the
members of my party who are not
true to the pledges which they have
made to me and to you.
81 am Democrat, but l can see
nothing but blind justice wallowfng
in the mire of intolerance, when
the president of my country, even
though he be a Democrat, meets the
representatives of our sugar indus
try, and, in SO many words, says to
them, follow me OR perish I can
not understand that kind Of justice.
/ think we have right to protest
against that kind of justice.
81 want to refer to something that
happened day before yesterday, which
/ feel that all of us, as true Louis1-
anians, should rejoice nightly over.
| refer to the spectacle presented in
the United States senate on Thurs
day When | read Of that, my heart
thrilled with gladness that / was
a citizen of Louisiana, and could aD-
plaud the acts of one of our own.
There arose in the senate of the
United States that day a command
ing figure. Many winters had
showed his hair, his mind was rich
in the knowledge of the passing
years, and with great dignity he
rose there in that greatest delibera-
most dignified, I am told-and out
lined the history of the Democratic
party since the war He recalled
that in 1868, when &c cast his first
vote, he had risked his life several
times, and had twice, under the in
iquitous rights bill, been carried, a
youth as he was, two hundred and
fifty miles to appear before fed
eral judge in the city of New Or
leans. He mentioned the fact that
the national Democratic party at
that time had done naught to bring
about white supremacy in Louisiana,
or to help the men whom they now
would crush He pointed out that
while cur platform had said, in spe-
cific language, no harm should be
done to any American industry, and
while he stood as the platform had
stood, for the development of all
the agricultural inter esEs of the
country-he pointed out to the SEN
ators of North and South Carolina
and others the fact that they had
taken a duty on cotton goods, while
they denied protection to US.
Ny friends, won't outline the
many things he pointed out, but it +
was pathetic sight; not for the
great Thornton, who made the
great speech, but for his colleagues
in the senate, who stood spellbound I
and in awe before him, and none
had the temerity to raise his voice
in denial of anything that Thornton
said. Verify did the light Of
justice seem binding then. What
Senator Thornton did, Joe Ransdell
has done, and I am glad to see this
great multitude of my fellow citizens
assembled to honor them, to declare
them right in the stand they have |
taken.
Il don't take the stock in that
north Louisiana meeting that some
of my friends seem to take. 1t
was a pop-gun affair, gotten up by
are here, for it makes a fellow in
Washington feel mighty good, away
out there, fighting single-handed
and alone, to knotrSh his friends are
standing by him, and going on these
long trips to meet and to pass reso-
buttons, and to think of him, and to
speak of what he is doing, and to
let him know that We know it and
are glad.
There is one question beyond that
endorsement. We are gathered here
today to endorse Ransdell and
Thornton, and I take it we are
gathered here, too, to demand JUS
tice. We have a right to demand
justice. | live under this flag, just
as the man in Maine, or the man in
California. | am a Democrat, just as
the Democrat in North Carolina, or
New York, Or Oregon. That same
protecting aegis that guards them,
guards me-
Il have been promised-everybod
since the formation OF this govern
ment has been promised-justice.
Our rights today call to high heaven
for justice, and I hope the result of
this meeting will go to the further
est corners of this country, that all
just men may read and know what
has been put upon us here in Lou
isiana. No question, my friends, is
ever settled until it is settled right,
and the sugar question and the rice
question are going to be settled
right, I believe, as sure as there is
God in heaven. Not by some men
who have gone OFF and put justice
behind them and put fair play aside,
but it is going to be settled. / can
not yet believe this government is
going to fasten free sugar upon us,
Tor our government is a good gov
eminent, and good government
must first of all be just