Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-12-18
SUGAR DUTIES.

which the South is soIicItons to continue,
whilst it is c@IalDuru,!~ for the rtdncJl"n
| Of duties ru !iuu nuI TEXT *. the
Northern Representatives. IN Congress
are constantly hn14,u4 to tI'e'r bo~'in.
AS Il precious cOnSoIa'l'n-'oIiil4 1t as
a "Sweet nlor<eI under their tot vu2s -
that Sun valuable sugar culture Is ell
1'reIy dependent on til" small protective
duty imposed Oh foreign sugar, AMI that
thev have only to threaten It's repeal, or
reduction, 70 coerre the Sout|' int the
support If their grand, fn'cing scheme
Of ii high Protective Tariff, to enrich
Northern capitalists at the expense Of Tie
jabor aud industry Of :he Whole country.
and especially of the South. It WIS
even alter pte>l ia Tue Senate at the last
session to defeat tie proposition for the
repeal Of the Fishing Bounties, by al
tActiny a rider N favor OF reporting the
duty Oh foreign sugar. I>I'ereuI'n:
Southern Senators declared that they
would cheeriuIIy sustain that motion
wherever it came properly up, provided
a like reduction WAS si;tie IN the duties
on textile goods auo IRON. The SAINT
conditions may be repeated in reply to
the threats which are already being made
to renew The wal OF the sugar lulies.-
Repea|, or reduce in a corresponding t.
yree, the duties on those ARTICLES which
Our planters consume. aud they wIlI have
no g'Uuud Of complaint for tie reduction
Of The tax on foreign sugars. Great
stress is laid upon the large >um derived
from those duties, as al oppressive tax
on tie mass Of consumers, tur the bene-
hi Of a very small class Vi prodncer<.-
10 show insignificant this class is, IL is
asserted that sugar is an exotic, The cul-
t~'v*;iop Of which has refrigerated, rather
than advanced, III this country; and the
fact Of the diminished crops, caused three
years ago ty p~ecuIiar circumstances and
disasters, is cited in support Of. this iat-
Iacy.
it was shown that the duties on sugar
for the year before last far exlee'IeI the
Whole value Of the sugar crop OF Loujsi-
ana. 1t did not cccuf to the care .ss
! Ietnayogues wE.e stated this startling fact
that 1t demonstrated The fajIacv Of tIlvir
own argument, that this duty was a tax
| Qpou the consumer for the benefit If the
producer. II, &hep the crop OF Louis;-
aua Was reduced ;hree~fourlh7, as it was
year before last, the amount OF duties
Oh foreign sugars advanced 10 so large a
greater 4 there ha! been TO sugar raised
III the United States. So, too, rs tie
crop OF Louisiana increases, Tie amount
Of that duty IS diminished. They turtl,-
er prove that these su,or duties are the
chief sources # The ievenues OF tue coun-
try, which have proved inadequate to
ucfray It's EXPENSES. They, are too, the
best mode Of taxing tlI- people, as they
reach every c~il'zeu aud il is tie duty
OF AL to contribute to the support If the
Government. Whilst We prefer the sys-
tenn OF dire tax;t'oi, and would do
away with the whole system Of customs
rruenue, We think the best articles 10
TAX, are those Of the most universal cun-
sumption, such as Tea, coffee and sugar.
1t is a great lr'usion and error 70 re-
gard the small Import duty Oh foreign
sugars as a protective duty 1t is less
:hau the duty OH a great many other
articles Of necessity, such us cotton goods
aud iron. II sugar were placed Oh tic
tree list, it would render il necessary to
increase to very large figures the duties
on other articles Of iv'se consumption
in the South. Such a discrimination
would be invidious and unjust to Tie
South, and would not tighten the bur
dens on the consumers throughout the
country, II would only result to the
profit and enrichment OF Il few capital
lists.
1t is not, therefore, to sustain The cul~
ture Of an exotic, Of a forced production
that the South is unwilling to see the
small duty on sugar singled ont from
other articles AMI p|a~td on Tie free list.
So far from being necessary to sustain
this culture, the duty on sugar is prop
erly regarded by our planters as Of lard
Iy any consideration or advantare to
them. The sugar %sulture in Louisiana
is more profitable now than wI,en the
duties we've much higher, and labor was,
therefore, cheaper. 1t is an article, tie
de1n~nd for which keeps even with, and
tlsr. 4tens to get far ahead OF, the produc-
ton. The country capable Of producing
sugar and the labor adapted to it, are
limited. Though, the climate of Louisi~
ana may be an obstacle to llIis c%uItiya-