The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1916-11-04

'i'T' W 80 'uhpnbl1 were moved [
ASK why 1t was that members o
Congress, elected from the Cor
greaslonal Districts Of South Lon
Islana az Democrats, voted il
Congress with the Republican
farty on all questions affacfln,
The tarlH; and that Dpmocran
Members from Congressional Dis
tricts IN Central Louisiana yer,
frt quently did likewise.
We all remember that Demo
cratic Senator's, whether from
North or South Louisiana. voteC
with the Republican Party also
The one exception was Senator
Caffery, who, for voting with his
Party, was denounced thronghout
south LOUISIANA, and az direct
result could afterwards be elected
10 no office in the State. Senator
Blanchard, who retired from the
Senate Chamber, presumably to
avoid having TO vote with his par
~, was ever afterwards kpowD in
me Southern portion of the State
as "Cloak Room Blanchard.
We could then understand why
afree and independent people per
sisted in electing Democrats and
could not vote according to their
Judgment and conscience and in
favor of their best interest.
Those who have been through the
Civil War, who had passed
through q veritable he'll that had
left scars, which had only been
re-opened by the reconstruction
period, explained to us the impos-
sibility of going into the RepubIi
can Party, Their reasons were
weighty, and the earnest and sin
cere prayer of our parents that we
shuD the party that had brought
misery and humiliation to them
was not dIsregarded by our people
The result was that the past.
and not the present or the future
welfare of ourselves, our families
and our State and Nation, con.
trolled us, and deprived us of the /
exercise of that good judgment es
sential IN the casting of our bal
lots. The cry Of ''Digger" from
the lips of professional Democratic
kept US for fifty years
be willing slaves Of Party We
forgot our every interest to fight
over the battles of the past. I
a form of Government like ours
demands that every citizen cast
lls vote after honest and earnest
fort to select that Party or can
lidate which according TO his best
Judgment and conscience ia best
or his people and the Nation. c
for a considerable portion of the Q
Nation 70 be guided constantly by /
ther than those considerations is k
menace to Republican form of g
No one will, or can u
uccessfuliy contrOvert that state a
lent. Every successful form of t
government to-day existing has
xtended the ballot in some form &
Q it's citizens; and for any cOnsid a
rable portion Of its citizens to be |,
ulded by the past, disTegarding b
resent conditions, means a source
danger to the peace and stabin- /,
Y of that Government. Much a.
'ore does it signify decadence in q
Republic. si
When | went in the service of q,
y Country, first as soldier in d
uba, and later in civil capacity OF
the Philippines, spending one p
ear iD each, and visiting Hawaii. b
hina aud Japan, | saw that my G
8ople could not without protec q
Old compete with those countries
the growing of sugar, rice, corn. n
onions and other agrIcul a,
raj products. A review of sta re
sites will convince the most ar h,
mt free trade Democrat of that a,
CT ,f
My experience and the knowl. II
ge gained demonstrated the. ab N
lutte necessity OF protection for DC
products, not only of in
'uth Louisiana. but of the entire m
alton; and | no longer doubted 81
g wisdom of our Senators and an
representatives. in Congress I'D w
ting with the Republican Party de
was not surprised that our Ia
ate Legislature insisted that We
Dator Thornton should bnrD his lea
dges and pledge himself to vote Il.
the protection of our industries tin
fore he was elected; nor was | rn
'prised to see Senator Ransdell otl
the same thing In order to be pc
cted to the Senate. The course
our people and their servants ty,
s wise and consistent; and so Gel
S the resolutions adopted at the VIII
smocratic) indignation mass 1t
citing held at New Iberia on cal
gust End, 1913, to denouDce ma
.sident Wilson and his admins rel
tion, and to praise Senator are