Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-20
PROJECTION IN THE SOUTH,

The effort now being made in Con-
gress to reduce the tariff on sugar and
rice, has created quite stir among the
planters and politicians of Louisiana, and
the effect of the movement on the people
OF that State conveys an instructive les.
son as to the nature of the politi--
cal complications that are likely to
grow out of the agitation of the
tariff question. Referring to the prob.
able effect of bringing the product of
the "slave labor of Cuba and Brazil; the
poor labor Of Mexico, and that of the
coolies Of India, and the half starved
peasantry of Europe" in competition
with the product of the free labor system
of this country, the New Orleans Times
says:
at is now generally conceded that sugar
produced by free labor cannot compete, in
price, in the consuming centers, with the
slave produced staple of Cuba or Brazil, or
that of the coolies of India, of the poems of
Mexico, or the starving peasantry of Europe,
who produce annually millions of tons of
beeis from which nearly 100000 tons of
sugar is extracted. By consequence, il this
valuable agricultural industry is to be main
tanned in our state, it must be fostered by
generous protective tariff, as the cotton inter.
ests OF the east and the iron industry of
Pennsylvania are protected and fostered.
Louisiana asks nothing but simple Justice at
the hands OF her sister states. She only de-
mands that her interests shall receive the
same protection that those of other states
obtain"
The position taken by the Times on
this question is the correct one. There
is no reason why the sugar and rice in
terests of Louisiana should not receive
the same protection from the government
as the products of the cotton mills and
FORCES Of New England. When in a
thriving condition these local interests
have the effect of diversify1ng the indus
tries of the country, and subjectlng
to the uses of man a, soil
owing to climatic conditions--un-
suited for almost any other crops. A
comparison of the results of free trade
and protection on the sugar and rice in
terests of the South in years gone by.
furnishes no criterion for our present or
future guidance in legislating on this
subject. Protection to these industri es
anterior to the war was accorded on the
basis of slave labor; while in dealing
with the subject in the future, the
changed condition of affairs in
that section will necessarily have
to be taken into consideration as an i'm
portant factor for the guidance of con-
gress in legislating on this question.
Congressman Gibson, of Louisiana, re.
ferring to these determinations against
the sugar and rice interests of the South.
in recent debate in congress on the tariff
bill, said:
''But how is it on cotton, iron, copper and
wooden goods? How upon steel? In
some instances absolutely prohibitive; in
Others, where IS are collected 81 go as boun-
tyto the particular industry, and only 81 to
the treasury. Do you propose now to throw
sugar overheard, to reduce the revenues, to
break down this industry, and thereby to
make up the deficiency by increasing the rates
upon manufactured goods? In this you de-
eeive yourselves. II you reduce the duties to
level with those upon sugar you will in
crease the revenues of the country. But you
cannot increase the revenues by raising the
duties on these already overtaxed articles.
"The difficulty about the sugar traffic, to
prevent fraud or evasion, can be remedied by
bill authorizing the secretary of the treas
nry to employ the polarscope or other means
to ascertain the real color and saccharine
strength of sugar, without Increasing or low
ering the rates, correcting the methods with
out touching the rates upon sugar. But If
you wish to reduce the revenues of the coan-
try you can GO it by either raising the tariff on
sugar or by reducing it on the other indus
tries on which it is above the revenue stand
ard, fully protective or absolutely pro-
hibitory
"There ought to be equity in this tariff sys-
tenn. You ask for protection against the IN
derpaid laborers of England and the continent.
Will you not afford equal protection to the
freedmen of Louisiana and the freemen of
that state against the unpaid labor, the slave
labor of Cuba and the gang of coolie labor OF
the tropics, that is still more exacting? Is it
your policy to discriminate against English
competition when we have the Atlantic ocean
to protect us, and not discriminate against the
slave. owners of Cuba, which is as near New
York and the centers of consumption in our
country as louisiana"
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