New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-21

TIL, Fr,ning Pos, calls for q general movement
for the entire abolition Of the duty on Sugar, when
il asserts 10 be levied "soley for the pront OF
L" twelve hundred sugar-planters in louisiana.
The Post further states that:
The present high prices Of sugar, our readers may
need 10 be reminded are due, in measure, 10 Ine
GREAT increase of duty under our al rG0Tem system
amounting az the last quotations, at cost 10 Iuoa anu
Porto Rico 10 an average Of cents per pouhu Oh al
qualities. So that whenever short crop occurs OF an
unexpected demand is created which advances tne
price abroad, the duty advances in corresponding
ratio and thus the more need relief from duties the
heavier is the burden we have to bear
We trust The Post will not take unkindly our re-
mindng il of the following facts:
/. The duty on raw Sugar, under the "Black
Tariff" "the Wbie Protective Tariff" "the anti
Commercial Tariff" Of 1912. so vehemently de-
nounced aforetime by The Post, was two and a half
cents per pound specfcaliy-nO matter how high
or how low the price of Sugar.
. The change from this BLACK Tariff to that
now in force was warmly supported by The Post as
triumph over narrow and anti-commercial re.
strctions, and its passage hailed as the downfall of
Protection. How is it, then, that the cause of
Protection is saddlea with the obnoxious details of
this Tariff of 46, planned by Robert j. Walker and
passed by Democratic Free-Trade Congress
8 The radical vice Of the AID Yalorem mode Of
ewing duties, and the superior honesty, simplicity
and equity of Specific, were urged BY The IRIB-
rNE throughout the arduous controversy that pre-
ceded and followed the passage of the Tariff Of 49,
but we never till now observed that The Post con-
cured in our view of the matter. Indeed, we sup
posed that it went strong on the other tack. Yet
the paragraph above quoted embodies our principal
and often-urged objection to Ad Nalorem Duties
wherever the imposition of Specific is practicable
4. Beside the twelve hundred sugar planters,
more or less, in Louisiana, there are good many
thousands of makers of Maple Sugar throughout
the Free States who will profit by the present high
price of the imported article Seventy Millions of
pounds is the current estimate for this years pro-
duct from the Maple; and if we estimate that Forty
Millions Of this only are sold by the makers, at an
average Of three cents per pound more than 1t
would have commanded in the absence OF any duty
on the importation of Sugar, then the clear benefit
accrung TO these Northern farmers from the Sugar
duty is 81 100000. We are not urging that this
is or is not desirable result but it certainly is
incompatible with the truth Of The Posts assertion
about the twelve hundred planters.
5. A good many thousands of our countrymen
will this year give the Sorghum trial Should
any of them succeed Gas we trust they willy, this
success will add so many more to the number who
are not hindered but benefited by the Sugar duty.
g. On the lst of July next, the Sugar duty falls
from 80 to "a per cent. AID Yalorem-a reduction.
Of one. sixth. Whether it shall be deemed wise to
reduce it still further, or even abolish it, as The
Post urges, we will consider at another time
This, however must be manifest to all: The entire
exemption of Sugar from duty, while other imports
remain subject to impost, is clearly inconsistent
with the principle of Free Trade.