The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1917-03-03
ONE SOLON HOLDS
POWER IN HOUSE
Representative W. p. Martin,
Progressive, of Louisiana
Gives No Inkling as to
How He Will Vote When
Speaker is Chosen.
Both Sides Bid For Support.
BY w. II. SMITH,

who has 1t in his power to shap,
very largely the policy and tn,
legislation of the Sixty Fifth Con
gressf Did you ever hear Lincoln,
comment on Alexander VI. Stew
ems, when he saw him taking of
his overcoaif If you have, it il
enough to say it would fit very
well the member Of the Uopse
from Louisiana, whose word will
be all potent IN shaping the organ
ization of the next House. and in
shaping the organization, give
tone to much Of the legislation
that will originate in that body.
For the first time In the history
of Congress, the House is equally
divided between the two parties,
leaving the balance of power in
the hands Of FIVE men elected
without regard to the two leading
parties. 1t is believed that two
of the five will finally line up with
the Democrats and two with the
Republicans, leaving the iiftb man
Representative Martin, Pro
gressive- still undecided 80 far az
anybody knows, but Mr.. Martin
knows. Mr.. Martin knows, but
he will not take anybody into his
confidence.
Go over to Room 2G4 in the
House Office Building at any time
after 10 o'clock in the morning
and before the conveniDg OF the
House, and you will be greeted
with a pleasant smile by q slender,
talr-baired, blue eyed man. That
Ia Wbitmell Pugh Martin, member
from the Third Louisiana District,
the first man not nominated by
the Democrats to be elected from
that district since the reconstruc.
tion days, for Mr.. Martin ia not n
Democrat, that is, n Democrat of
the Wilson Underwood low tariff
style. Originally he was a Demo
crat, but always q believer in u
protective tariff, and when the
Democrats under the lead of Tn
derwood betrayed, or rather repu.
dated the tariff plank in the Bal
timore platform and struck q
death blow at the great interests
OF his congressional district Mr..
Martin became q Progressive.
FROM SUGAR DISTRICT.
Look at him and you would put
his age at 40 or az years, but in
fact within few months he will
reach his two score and 10 mark.
He is q Louisianian by birth and
all his love is for his native state
except what he gives to the Union.
His district is the great sugar dis.
trict of his state and any move
that tends to destroy that interest
is move to empoverish all the
people there for all are dependent
IN some measure upon that indus
try. Under Republican tariff the
industry hourished.
He was an enthusiastic sup
porter of Woodrow Wilson mainly
because he had, as he believed, az.
surances that If elected Mr.. Will
son would use all his influence to
protect the sugar interests.
Why do you leave your old par
ty anu become Progressivep !
asked him.
"Wben the party deliberately
repudiated its pledge made at
Baltimore and enacted a law that
meant to the people of my district
bankruptcy and ruin, and Presi.
dent Wilson not only approved but
gave 1t his warm Endorsement as
the greatest tariff law the country
had ever had, / ceased to be a
Democrat. You know the Under
wood law made horizontal cut of
25 per cent until Mag, 1915, when
sugar was to go on the free list.
The effects of that law on the in
dustry in my district was fearful.
There had been flood that had
swept away much of the cane and
who would have stood by
the planters to help them recover
from the fl ,od losses refused to
advance a dollar In the face of
free sugar.
SUGAR HIT BY TARIFF.
"Sugar properties Immediately
decreased more than 80 per cent in
value, and many plantations were
to the creditor for the
lack OF other bidders. Many of
our sugar mills were dismantled
and the machinery sold at great
sacrifice for transportation to
Cuba or Mexico. Thousands were
thrown out Of employment and
most of our once fertile fields
were permitted to grow up in
Wormy children are unhappy,
puny and sickly. They can't be
otherwise while worms eat away
their strength and vitality. A few
doses Of WHITES CREAM VERMI-
FUGE performs marvellous trans