Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-02-19

sugar and molasses. Mr.. Dawes proposes
by this means to raise $S,000,000 and we
venture the assertion that in order to col
lccs this amount the people will be COM
PEELED to pay four times as much.
Under the existing law, refined sugars
or sugars fit for use pay an ad ralorem duty
of nearly 81 per cent. more than raw sugars
and syrups The effect of this has been
':to protect" the sugar refiners in this
country at the expense Of the consumers
These refners import the raw sugars and
syrups and after subjecting them to the
refining process. in itself not very expen-
sive, they are sold to the consumer, who,
-..-.AAx tAis ipin uitons protective ssstAa.zss
compelled TO pay Tor them an ap~ssnt
equal to this 81 per cent. lsrfed by the
Tariff on imported refp~d sugars, because
these latter cannoteome into competition
until that price is passed. Last year the
aggregate value of all the sugar imported
was, say in round numbers, $S1 SOC, 900, of
use by the consumer, amounted to only
some $1,700,000 and the balance, upwards
of $50, 100000. was raw sugar, for which,
after going through the process of refine
ment in this country, the consumer was
compelled to pay 81 per cent. more for
than he could have purchased it abroad.
All of which profit came out of the pocket
of the consumer and went into the protect
ed pocket of the sugar re6ner. BY this
new revenue bill, this 81 per cent. will be-
increased to upwards of II per cent. And
inasmuch as the Tariff is ad colOrem, or &C
cording to value, the tax on low grades of
sugar, suitable for refining purposes, is not
increased the same amount as it is on
sugars already refined. Putting the price
down at the very lowest, this will be a
bonus to the reiner of at least IT cent per
pound, which, fixing the consumption at
1900, 100000 pounds, "a moderate esti-
mate,) would tax the people $4,000, 900,
of which the Government will only get
the $s,OOO,OOO, and the protected reiner
$22. OOO, 900. If Gen. Grant and the Re
publican Congress would only let the peo-
pie of Louisiana manage their own affairs
SO that they could make sugar, there might
be some slight pretense of a justification
for this outrageous imposition upon the
whole people, but inasmuch as that people
are only permitted the privilege of living
on condition of holding still to be robbed
by Kellogg and his gang. we can see no
excuse whatever in thus taxing the work
ing classes for the benefit of few protect
ed monopolists.
But we are told that there is deficiency
in. the Sinking Fund and the income from
ths customs are falling off and must be
increased, and there is no other way OF
meeting it than by this proposed taxation.
Has it come to this, that nearly ten years
,ffer the war the Treasury is empty and
the country is bankrupt Is this SO The
leaders of the Republican party confess it
and ask the people to submit to further
taxation. We say, No! No-a thousand
times. No! Already duties on imports
are SO high and industry SO depressed that
fmperted goods cannot be sold at the
needed high prices and now it is propos-
cd to remedy these evils by further increas-
Ing the, duties, and taxing the necessarles
consumed by the laboring classes We
saw rather reduce the Tariff, increase the
sales. and thereby build up our industries.
,Pbe Government must be regulated by the
same rules that any ordinary man OF sense
would be governed by in the management
ofbis own business Reduce expenditures
and live within your income! ls that prac-
tised. or is it sought to be practissds