The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-08-19
IMPORTANCE OF THE SUGAR
TARIFF TO FREE LABOR.

Independents VI iuuusgAAA1 f'uN Aa""'ose&a
arguments, the future welfare OF labor
ers employed in cane culture in its edu-
cational, intellectual and progressive
relations is bound up in a proper tariff
affording them protection from sugar
grown by slaves. Il
The reduction Of the tariff upon sugar
is taking from the freedman and giving
to the owner OF slaves the greater part
of the reduced duty and the English sta
tistics establish that beyond successful
denial.
After emancipation in 1884, the British
tariff protected sugar grown by freemen
against sugar grown by slaves; but in
1916 and 184s, the English free-traders
and tariff reformers succeeded in getting
the British Parliament to enact laws
gradually abolishing all duties on sugar,
whether grown by slaves or freemen, by
tile operation Of a scale, beginning then
and annually diminishing, until in 1854
sugar became free.
1t appears from an analysis of these
statistics, discarding fractions, that in
1852, when there was u favorable tariff,
out of every 100 pounds of sugar con-
sumeQ in Great Britain, IS pounds were
grown by freemen, and Ia pounds only
by slave labor, but after the tariff pro-
lection expired, and in 1868, the con-
sumption of cane-sugar grown by free
labor fell from 6G pounds to SIS pounds,
while that of slave-grown sugar advanced
from Ia pounds to IS pounds, being an
increase Of over 300 per cent. in the pro-
portionate consumption of s]avo-grown
sugar; and in 1873 the revolution adj
vanced until the consumption of slave
grown cane-sugar exceeded that grown
by the labor Of freemen and was Sc
pounds in each 100 pounds consumed,
while of the sugar grown by freemen the
consumption was only AZ pounds
It results from these figures that the
proportion of cane-sugar grown by slaves
increased over 40 per cent, while there
was not only no increase in 81 years in
the proportionate consumption of cane
sugar grown by free labor. but an actual
decline Of over 100 per cent!
These figures demonstrate that sugar
grown in the fertile British West In-
dian Islands by the labor of freemen can
not compete with sugar grown i'll the
same Islands by slave labor. 1t is true
that the freedmen of the British Islands
maintained terrible struggle against
the competition of slaves ard with d
better soil and climate than we possess
but after the English tariff was re-
duced in 1858, the freemen were gradu.
ally pushed to the wall. The prosperity
Of the British Islands aud freedmen
diminished daily, the course of prosperity
and Of education was stayed, and the
freed blacks, emerging from slavery in
1884 and advancing i'll the social and
political scale until 1853, began then to
experience the baneful effects of compe-
tition with the Spanish, Dutch ard Dan
ish slaves; and as prosperity fed, it car
ried away with it the budding promise
of the better development and improve
ment of the colored race.
Troubles Of all kinds ensued, and the
same British Parliament which had liber-
ated at the expense of hundred million
dollars 100000 slaves, and invested them
with political rights and privileges
found itself compelled to in part retrace
its steps and to withdraw from the col
ored race the political rights and privi-
leges conferred upon it. This was nota-
bly, the case in the fertile island of ia
maica.
In order that the fertile sugar lands
| should receive cultivation even in com
| petition with slave labor, laws were EN-,
acted that authorized the introduction
Of Asiatic coolies under conditions al
| most identical with slavery during thu
contract term of labor, and thus thu
poverty of the freedmen Of the coioret
race in the British Islands resulting
from the low wages produced by re
formed tariff finally deprived then
of the most important Of their politica
rights, and then almost submerged then
under the wave Of All Asiatic coolie i'm
portation of contract laborers.
But this was not all the damage infiic
ted by the reduction Of the British suga
| tariff, upon the unfortunate colored race
When the scale Of reduced protection
Of sugar grown by free labor began t.
operate, it Immediately enriched tn
slave-owning Islands, and each year tn
profits grew until the price Of slave
rose SO high that the languishing slav
trade developed into feverish activity
The Spanish slaves of Cuba and Port
Rico increased from about 100000 il
1886 to over 1900, 900: while in the Dutcl
Islands, Dutch Guiana and the Spanisl
Islands the increase of slaves was enor
nous; and we hazard little in sayin,
that the larger proportion of increas
grew cat of the fearful slave trade. w
think it is not an exaggerated statemen
| to say that the reduction Of duty O.
slave grown sugar BY Great Britain S
stimulated the slave trade, SO lighted a
wars aud raids i'll Africa to supply til
demand, that it practically resulted il
reducing to direful bondage a create
number of the colared race than were sc
free by the emancipation of 1884 and til
expenditure of u hundred million @
dollars.
r T..