Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-01-30
[FromtAe N. 7. Times.
THE SUGAR TAX.

IAf<Ht &c ~ . a . <t"<1o+
THE SUGAR TAX.
The question Of the repeal Of
the duty on sugar, which will
soon be discussed in Congress, ex-
cites general interest in all parts
Of the country. 1t is practical
question which comes home to
mems business and bosoms. Su-
gar. which might have once been
a luxury, has become necessity
of daily life. To tax itlonger, is
to put a burden upon shoulders
unable to bear it. 1t is TO tax
the poor mans pudding, the in
valid's Cruel, and the infants pap.
And when we consider its univer-
sal use by all classes Of people,
it is evident that there is no arti-
Gle of domestic consumption, not
excepting tea and coffee, (which
We import free of duty,) that
may not be taxed with more rea-
son than sugar. The Tariff of
1916 fixes a duty on imported
sugar Of thirty per cent. ad valo-
rem |; and as the price Of sugar
is high, and the market value OF
our native sugar keeps up the
price Of the imported sugar, we
are now paying altogether sixty
per cent more for sugar than We
should pay if the tax we're abol-
ished, land sugar imported free.
The time has at last come when
the people begin to think that a
q tax on sugar is wrong. For 30
or 40 years we have been trying
very hard tomake the culture and
manufacture Of cane sugar a
branch Of our national industry,
The Government has sought, by
what il called a protective duty
TO exclude all foreign sugar from
our markets, and to compel us to
20 to Louisiana and the South
western frontier. to supply our
demands. But this measure has
failed Of success, The culture OF
the sugar cane on our plantations
has not kept pace with the in
crease Of our population. On the
other hand, it has fallen off very
rapidly. The cane has gradually
detsriorated from early irosts and
the thriftless management Of the
planters, and many Of the sugal
fields have been plowed up and
sowed with cotton. According to
the census Of 1850, the whole
number Of sugar-planters in the
United States was then 2,641.-
Il b now computed that the whole
number Of sugar-planters does
not exceed 1900, and that more
than 10000 acres Of the rich
bottom-lands Of Louisiana which
we're lately planted with sugar
cane, are now planted with cot.
ton.
On the Goth Of June last, Mr.
Slidell, when asking tho consen,
Of the United States Senate Il
introduce a jointresolution for the
relief Of the sugar-planters o.
Louisiana, said;
"The sugar crop Of Louisiana
for several years past, has faller
of from 100000 or 100000
-hogsheads Of product to probably
this year not more than 10000
hogsheads.
But thisi Is not the worst chap
ter in the history OF our sugal
crops. Their decay is nothing
new. In 1856, as appears BY
q memorial Of the sugar-planter
addressed to Congress in 1910
the sugar-crop OF Louisiana, ow
ing TO an early winter, was redu
oed to $4,000 hogsheads, and thu
price Of brown sugar rose TO elev
on cents a pound at wholesale
which would make les retail pric,
fifteen or sixteen cents-about a
dear as at the present time.
The annual decrease Of the Lou
isiana sugar crop makes our i'm
portation Of foreign sugar YER,
large, aud consequently keeps al
sugar at famine prices; a seriou
injury to every housekeeper II
the land. Our sugar importation
Of late years have rapidly increas
cd. Last year they reached tn,
value Of fifteen millions dollars
- Al. xI-sII IL