Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-25
THE SUGAR MONOPOLY.

THE SUGAR MONOPOLY.
Many Of our exchanges are agitating against
the sugar tax The Tariff Of l846 imposes
duty Of 80 per cent. on foreign sugar, simply
for the purpose Of securing to few hundred
planters in Louisiana the privilege Of selling
the product of their plantations to the People
Of the United States at IN enormous profit.
The tax is an imposition on millions, for the
sake Of enriching few hundreds. Sugar is
az much necessary az tca, coffee, butter.
We all use it, and in large quantities. The
home culture cannot supply the demand at
reasonable rate. Our Treasury is now over
howing--it has become necessary to place
some taxed articles ON the free list, and to re-
duce the imposts upon others. Sugar, like cof-
fee should be on the free list 1t is an outrage
on the People to compel them to pay tax Of
three or four cents to the planter on every
pound they use. This imposition on the mass
es, this violation Of Democratic Principle is
overlooked, We believe, by Secretary Guthrie,
in his recommendations for revision of the
Tariff. The s0-called Democratic Party, which
processes to favor free trade, is equally remiss.
The Free Traders Of the South are silent on
the subject, and not word appears in the
Baltimore platform about it. Can this be owing
to the fact that the few hundred persons who
enjoy the benefits of this enormous and oppres-
sive monopoly belong to the Aristocracy of Sla-
verya If So it may be well for some Of the
Administration papers in the West, that have
lately been complaining of this grievance, to
hold their peace. They ought to know that
there is no general rule without an exception,
and that Protection is always bad and ruin
GUS policy, except when required to enrich and
strengthen the Ruling Class.
By the way, writer in the Springfield (lll)
Journal shows how these gentlemen flourish
under the protective policy:
aDe Dow's Rsviev for March, 1883, publish
ed at New Orleans says, that Mr. Wafford, of
ST. Mary, Louisiana, made the past season,
1881 on forty acres Of land, one hundred and
hounds each, making ncarlys five thousand
pounds Of sugar to the acre. The same Repiew
also says By referring to the Banner Of the
25th Of December, published at Franklin, Louis
lana, it will be seen that many planters in the
vicinity of that town have made upwards Of
three hogsheads Of sugar, of one thousand
pounds each, to the acre. 1t further says, that
w. w. wilkins, Esq, OF the parish of St.
James, made the past season forty-eight hogs
heads Of sugar on twelve acres Of ground, and
that Col Preston, of Ascension, averaged three
thousand pounds Of sugar per acre on two hun
dred acres Of land That paper also states,
that the tOrange Grove plantation, short
distance below Donaldsonville, with only one
hundred and six negroes old and young men,
women, and children, included, which would
give about sixty or seventy working hands,
made the last season nine hundred hogsheads
Of sugar, of one thousand pounds each and
that Mr. Wilkins, of the parish Of ST. James
made last season, with sixty hands, nine hun.
dred hogsheads Of sugar.
"These copious returns show, that we'll
managed sugar planting in Louisiana produc-
ed TO each working hand fifteen hogsheads Of
sugar, together with the molasses, which equals
fifty gallons to the hogshead Of sugar
Estimating the sugar at four cents per
pound, and the molasses at twenty cents per
gallon, we have seven hundred and fifty dol
lars worth Of sugar and molasses, rs the pro-
duce Of each working hand The duty on for
eign sugar and molasses, being thirty per cent
od vaiorem, raises the cost Of Louisiana sugar
to the consumer an equal amount and shows
most clearly that we, the people, the great
consumers and the hard workers are paying
annually bounty of about two hundred dol
lars on each working negro engaged in the SUI
gar culture
Our own opinion il, that any attempt 10 re.
peal this sugar tax will be pronounced a viola
ton Of the Baltimore platform, and that spirit
of concession and compromise. which should
characterize the Democracy.
AMERICA JOINING THE ALLIED POWERS
Our minister TO Turkey has been doing
little more than the polite thing TO his Sultan
ship Of Turkey 1t was quite right that Mr..
Spence should have brushed up his courtesy
on the occasion Of presenting his credentials.
He however, should have confined himself to
the ordinary conventional politeness stcrcotyped
for euch OccaeOns