The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-10

About One-bAf OF our annual Imports
OF sugar came from Cuba and Porto
Rico, and if this half was made
free Of duty its producers could always hnd
market here, as other people would ouy 1t
at a reasonable price, and hold It ii the re-
dDeIs were not ready to purchase. This
state OF affairs would partly emancipsts
the planters and merchants from the con-
troll of the Isfners, and therefore the latter
with the importers from other countries and
Louisiana planters would join in bitter
opposition TO the treaty. The treaty would
amount TO q commercial annexation OF
Cuba and Porto Rico to the United States,
giving Us all the benefits OF political an
nexation without any of its disadvantages.
The German Government bad lately en-
coursged the beet root sugar industry by
large bounty on exports, so
that Germany, which few years
ago WAS an importer Of sugar, last year was
exporter OF about 500 600 tons. Ii this
amount, abou; 81 900 tons, came TO this port
alone, the enormous profits which accrued
to the early beet root factories through the
bounty system bad the effect of developing
the business 10 its present extent, and over
production bad become so great that manu-
lecturers bad sold sugar at a positive loss.
In regard to the claim that the treaty
would be- Tuinous to the interest OF Ameri-
can woIkmen in the reineries, the same
importer declared the statement was
preposteTous argument, as the
refinery interest employed fewer
skilled workmen than any other, branch OF
msnufactnre in proportion to the value OF
the produce. Nearly all the work was done
BY n achinery, and most OF the workmen
connected with the business were simply
iaborers.
A Cuban planter, who has large estate,
saws the sugar crop of the island could be
| doubled within two years, end that the rsti-
fCation of the treaty was the only hope for
| the island to live.
Haven eyer, of Hayemeyer & Elers, ex-
tensive sugar Iefiners. expressed the strong
| est opposition to the treaty. Ali the reiiners
were opposed TO il, be said. not merely
| in their capacity as business meu
| but as American citizens. He objected "a
treaty scrimination in favor ef the trade
| OF any particular country, which was an in
| Justice, and objected further to the measure,
| which would further enslaYe labor In another
! country when We had abolished it in
| our owB, and would encourage importation
| here of Coolie labor, which we had shat
! on. from our own shores. We had already
stimulated The employment OF Chinese labor
| in Hawaiian Island by our commercial treaty
| with their Government All the benefit OF
| the Spanish treaty wOnld accrue TO tbs
! planters OF Cuba, who. IL it should be Fati
! fed, would Immediately put up the price o.
! their sugar so a. TO include the amount
| of the old duty. For the year 1888 the total
| value of a0 our exports to Cuba was Only
| ST. ,000 eco, while the duties which We col
! lected on Cuba sugar were about $25, 900
| 600. This $25 600 600 it was now proposed
| TO transfer from the United States Treasury
to the pockets OF Cuban planters,
without a cents benefit to our own
| people. If our Government was
going TO give bounty for growing sugar, il
wonld be better TO pay two cents { er pound
! to Louisiana planters. IL it was to make q
discriminating treaty with any country, il
would be better 10 make it with England snG
! her colonies, with whom we could have an sX-
! teDsive commerce, II stead of granting such
privileges to amiserable, impoverished island
like Cuba, Two hundred years behind the
/ age. He was in favor of importing raw
sugars free from sll poris of the world. Re
fneIs in general favored this policy
/ to 10 away with this tariff
sgitation; bs had been in favor %
| il. but it~~ had been sO0lishl,
referred to a handful of planters in Louisi
ana no could never compete successfully
with the employ ers of slave labor or produc
eTs OF beetrOot sugar. The treaty, he 70
marked, not only admitted raw sugars free
/ but the grades between Nos. Is and II
/ at the duties OF standard, which wer;
PARTIALLY refined. This would cause {
transfer of that branch OF refining
| 10 Cuba as refiners here could not compete
with slave labor. In consequence of thi
! Treaty his fra had closed two large rein
cries at Williamsburg fortnight ago. These
! refineries employed 500 men, and OF c0urs'
their suspension affects barrel making, the
! bone black business aud various other indus
| tries.