The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-09-12
OIL. ROOSEVELT IN LOUISIANA.

and commander-in-ch chief of the spirit
ed two-year-old Progressive political
party, spent two strenuous and typi-
cally Rooseveltian days in Louisiana
this week, which have given a big
boost to the claims and hopes of the
Louisiana Progressives.
Arriving at New Orleans over the
Louisville and Nashville railway Mon
day morning, accompanied by Chair
man Jno. NJ. Parker Of the Progress
sive state committee and Associate
Justice Chas. A. O'Niell of the Lou
isiana supreme court, Col Roosevelt
enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the
GruneWald Hotel and held an inform
al reception in his suite Of rooms at
which he met, shook hands and ex,
changed political views and personal
pleasantries with large number of
prominent city and country Progress
sives anxious to meet and do honor
to their great leader.
An automobile tour of the city fol
| lowed, and in the afternoon a visit
was made to Southern Park, where
the labor organizations of New Orle-
ans were celebrating Labor Day with
big festival. Col. Roosevelt made
brief but forceful address at this
entertainment, enthusing the large
audience with his Enthusiastically
clear and emphatic opinions on labor
questions and other issues of the
| time
! The browning event of the col
| xrir hor tho hiO
meeting at the French Opera House
Monday night, which filled the spaci-
Gus auditorium from pit to dome With
an assembly that only needed the
| accessories of carnival costumes and
evening dress to surpass the great
est balls ever given by Proteus or
Comus or the largest outpourings at
tracted by the French Opera troupes.
When the wave of enthusiasm greet
ing the arrival of the guest of the oc-
casion had subsidized, Mr.. Parker open
ed the meeting with ringing in
troductory speech that brought on
more waves, and the evening might
! be described as very stormy one
indeed, to judge from the frequency
and force Of the "Waves" that fol-
lowed the many good points and in
spring periods with which the re-
| marks of the three speakers fairly
| bristled. Mr.. Parker's declaration Of
faith that the Progressives of Lou
isiana would not only be represent
ed in the sixty-fourth congress, but
that the next governor of the state
will be a Progressive, provoked a
torrent of applause. Mr.. Parker clos
ed by presenting Judge O'Niell as
chairman of the meeting, and the
popular jurist came in for almost as
big demonstration as that given
to 'the colonel" himself The chair
man made it clear that he was not
present as a politician or partisan,
inasmuch as a judge should be non
partisan and non-factional, and take
part in no political campaign except
his own; but that he considered it
a great honor to preside over such
a meeting, held in honor of such
man and citizen as Colonel Roose-
welt. Judge O'Niel1's statement that
it would be to the advantage of the
state-now that the control of the
superior race is assured beyond
question-to have two political parties
so nearly equal in strength that
each would be compelled to nomi-
nate its best Waessor office met
with prolonged fro,use, only ex
ceeded in volume and fervor by the
demonstration that followed his in
PRODUCTION of the oratoricaI star of
the evening.
Col. Roosevelt was in excellent
voice and showed little diminution
of vocal or general physical force
as a result of the illness brought
on by his South American expedi-
ton. He thanked the people of
New Orleans and Louisiana for their
repeated manifestations of friend
ship and cordial welcome, and ex-
pressed the hope that the apparent
accord existing between them might
be extended to include not only po-
litical beliefs, but political action to
the extent of carrying those be-
liefs into effect at the ballot box.
He reviewed the tenets Of the Pro-
gressive platform and contrasted
them with the professions and per-
formances of the Democratic and
Republican parties to the disadvan-
tage of both the old organizations
He criticized the Republicans for
making an unreasonably high scale
of tariff duties that benefited the
rich manufacturers and the trusts,
and berated the Democrats for re-
duclng or abolishing duties so as to
cripple and destroy valuable domestic |
industries, citing the Louisiana SUI
gar industry as a case in point. The |
Progressives, he said, favor the Gre
alton of tariff commission on
basis that will adjust
tariff schedules on a fair and scien-
t1fic basis and take the question out |
of partisan politics.
Great applause was evoked bv the
declarations of the speaker that the
duty of the national government is
TO take charge of the Mississippi
liver and SO regulate its floods that
surplus waters will be stored in the
upper reaches and tributaries for ir-
1satlon and power purposes, while
he lower valley will be protected
rom inundation. Col. Roosevelt elu-
'idated his views on the recall of
Judges, controverting the accusation
hat he was in the slightest degree
Lnarchistic or lacking in respect for
he Judicial tribunals of the coun-
ry; gave his opinions on the re-
pective rights and privileges of
apital and labor; denounced as
lackmail the proposal to pay Co !
ombia $25,000.000 for having acquir- I
d the Canal Zone and built the
anama Canal, and asserted that the
isdom of terrifying the canal had :
cen vindicated by the deplorable !