The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-03-10
WHIT. MARTINS POSITION.
Louisiana's Progressive Congressman
will Vote for the Best Interests
of His People.

The following interesting com
pendulum of a recent interview be-
tween Congressman Whit. P. Martin
of the third Louisiana district and a
representative of the Indianapolis
Star is copied from the New Orleans
Times-Picayune of Feb. 26, 1917:
Whit. Martin, Louisiana's Pro
gressive congressman from the third
district, twill do what he thinks best
for the people of his district" when
the vote for the speaker of the house
is taken, according to an interview
with him by the Washington CORE
spondent of the Indianapolis Star,
which refers to him as 'sholding the
power of the house in his hand"
| The interview is an extended one,
and tells of Mr.. Martins change from
a Democrat to Progressive. The
reduction of the tariff on sugar is
given by him as the cause. In this
connection the interviewer quotes
him as follows:
"When the Democratic party de-
| liberately repudiated it's pledge made
at Baltimore and enacted law that
meant to the people of my district
bankruptcy and ruin, and President
Wilson not only approved that law,
but gave it his warm Endorsement as
the greatest tariff law the country
had ever had, I ceased to be a DEM
ocrat. You know the Underwood law
made horizontal cut of rs per cent
until May, 1916, when sugar was to
go on the free list. The effects of
that law on my district were fearful.
There had been a flood that had swept
away much of the cane, and creditors
who would have stood by the planters
to hep them recover from the flood
lossea refused to advance dollar in
the ~alse of free sugar. Sugar prop
efAe9qeg Immediately decreased more
than SO per cent in value, and many
plantations were adjudicated to cred
itors for lack of other bidders"
Judge Martin also is quoted as say
ing the European war came to the
rescue of the Louisiana sugar plant
ers, but the war cannot be expected
to last forever, and after it's con-
clusion "sugar, as we'll as many other
industries, will have to be afforded
adequate protection or go to the
wall" He also says further that ex-
perience has given no hope for help
from the Democratic party along
tariff lines.
In reply to the question as to how
he would vote on the house organiza-
ton, he is quoted as saying:
~ will say this to you, and say it
in all candor, that when the time
comes l will do what / think is best
for the people of my district. I am
here to represent them, to work in
their interest, to vote on all matters
that have local bearing as | be-
lieve will best help them. With the
division of sentiment in my district
it looks little as if I will be id
if l do and be id if don't. I'm
der such a division of sentiment I
shall exercise my own judgment, leav-
ing the future to vindicate me. In
my short congressional career I have
had but one aim-to deserve we'll Of
my constituents, and that shall con-
tinue to be my aim, and to that end
/ am looking only to the good of my
district"
The article places the balance of
power in the house entirely within
Cflt ldHuS VI N1I. NldIlliIs He MUSE
is evenly divided as to Republicans
and Democrats, with five Independ-
ents and Progressives. Two of these
are regarded as certain to align with |
the Republicans and two with the
leaving the fifth man,
Representative Martin, Progressive,
still undecided SO far as any but Mr..
Martin knows"
The town of Houma, La, is to have /
free mail delivery beginning May /.
The Houma Times says: 1.-TWO car
lies and one substitute will be en-
oloyed in the two routes mapped out
for delivery and collection of mail
each day. Twelve mail boxes will |
,e installed in convenient places
the city to receive mail /
natter which will be collected several
lines daily" All of which suggests
he inquiry whether it isn't about time
)onaldsonville was getting into the
rec delivery game?
If you buy out of town. and we 4
,uy out of town, and all our neigh l
ors buy out Of town, what in thun-