The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

LOUISIANA PROTECTIONISTS.
Unusual Action by the Representatives of That State.

General Adolph Meyer, member of Congress from New Orleans, made a protective-tariff speech in the house a few days ago, which the New Orleans Picayune prints with approval. Meyer and two other representatives from Louisiana voted for the Dingley bill. It is the interest of Louisiana in development of her special industries that prompts this unusual action on the part of three of her Democratic representatives, and of her leading newspaper.

The Picayune makes this comment:

The duty on sugar, while it will yield a large revenue, will also afford fair incidental protection to the American sugar producers, who are chiefly in Louisiana. Incidental or not, here is protection for Louisiana, and General Meyer admits that it is with poor grace that Louisiana shall ask the other states of the Union to give her protection while she refuses to assist other states which have large interests to protect. It is in this spirit that the Louisiana congressman will help Ohio and other northern states in the wool schedule, and will vote for such other protection as the bill may carry.

This is the position of many other southern Democrats. From freetraders they have come to be full-fledged protectionists, which is another confirmation of the fact that all the parties are rapidly shifting ground on questions of policy. Now that the southern people are large producers of articles for which they need protection, and are rapidly abandoning the distinctive demands of states' rights, there will remain only the race question to keep the southern people united. Eliminate the negro from politics as a portentous factor, and the solid south will break up.

But General Meyer is doing all in his power to secure protection for the sugar, rice, salt, lumber and other great interests of his state, and, should he succeed, his constituents will excuse him for any alleged abandonment of time-honored party lines.