The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1858-12-18
lFrom the Ne,c Orleans Delta. I
SUGAR DUTIES.

system are continually harping upon the duty
on sugar, as tax upon the North for the
benefit Of the South-a duty which the South
is solicitous to continue, whilst it is clamor.
Gus for the reduction of duties on iron and
textiles. The Northern Representatives in
Congress arc constantly huggng to their
bosom, as a precious cousolation-rolling it
as "sweet norsel under their tongues" =
that our sugar culture is entirely dependent
on the small protective duty imposed on
foreign sugar, and that they have only to
threaten its repeal, or reduction, to coerce
the South into their grand forcing scheme of
high Protective Tariff, to enrich Northern
capitalists at the expense of the labor and
industry Of the whole country, and especially
of the South. 1t was even attempted NJ
the Senate at the last session to defeat the
proposition for the repeal of the Fishing
Bounties, by attaching rider in favor Of
repealiHg the duty on foreign sugar, There
upon, Southern Senators declared that they
would cheerfully sustain that motion when
ever it came properly up, provided a like
reduction was made in the duties on textile
goods and iron. The same conditions may
be repeated in rep ply to the threats which are
already being made to renew the war Oh the
sugar duties. Repeal, or reduce in CORES
spending degree, the duties GU those articles
which 'our planters consume, and they will
have no ground of complaint for the reduc,
tion of the tax on foreign sugars Great
stress is laid upon the large sum derived
from those duties, as an oppressive tax on
the mass of consumers, for the benefit of u
very small class of producers. To show
how Insignificant this class is, it is asserted
that sugar is au exotic, the cultivation of
which has refrigerated, rather than advanced,
in this country and the fact of the dimin
ished crops, caused three years ago by pecu,
liar circumstances and disasters, is cited in
support of this fallacy.
! 1t was shown that the duties on sugar for
the year before last far exceeded the whole
value of the sugar crop of louisiana 1t
did not occur to the careless demagogues
who stated this startling fact, that it demon>
strated the fallacy of their own argument,
that this duty was tax upon the consumer
for the benefit of the producer II, when
the crop of Louisiana was reduced three.
fourths, as it was year before last, the
amount of duties on foreign sugars advanced
to so large sum, that SUN would have been
still greater if there had been no sugar raised
in, the United States. So, too, as the crop
Of Louisiana increases, the amount of that
duty is diminished. They further prove
that these sugar duties are the chief sources
of the revenues of the country, which have
proved inadequate to defray its expenses
They are, too, the best mode of taxing the
people, as they reach every citizen; aud it
Is the duty OF all to contribute to the sup
port of the Government. Whilst we prefer
the system of direct taxation, and would do
away with the whole system of customs rev
enue, we think the best articles to tax, arc
those of the most universal consumption,
such as lea, coffee and sugar. :
1t is great delusion and error to regard
the small import duty on foreign sugars as
protective duty. 1t is less than the duty
on great many other articles Of necessity,
such as cotton goods and iron. If sugar
we're placed on the free list, it would render
necessary to increase to very large figures
the duties on other articles Of large con-
sumption in tho South. Such discrimina.
ton would be invidouS and unjust to the
South, aud would not tighten the burdens
on the consumers throughout the country.
1t would only result to the profit and enrich
ment of few capitalists.
1t is not, therefore, to sustain the culture
Of an exotic, Of forced production, that
the South is unwilling to see the small du>
| ty on sugar singled out from other articles
and placed on the free list. So far from
being necessary, to sustain this culture, the
duty on sugar is properly regarded by cur
planters as of hardly any consideration or
advantage to them. The sugar culture in
Louisiana is more profitable now than when
the duties were much higher, and labor was,
therefore, cheaper. IL is an article, the de-
mand for which keeps even with, and threat
ems to get far ahead of, the production,
The country capable of producing sugar aud
the labor adapted to it, are limited. Though
the climate of Louisiana may be an obstacle
to tLis cultivation, it is not an invincible
one, and our planters enjoy many advanta,
ges over the cultivators in more favorable
climes. They have more efficient machine.
ry, cheaper transportation, better labor, more
abundant supplies Of food, and greater skill
and enterprise than the planters in the
islands and the South American States.
Whether the duties on foreign sugars is re-
tanned or not, the culture of that product in
Louisiana will continue to be remunerative
and if the abolition of the duties on textile
and other fabrics, largely consumed by the
= IL Al Al Il Il.