The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-12-26
FREE SUGAR.

free-trade policy, that, as they say,
they may relieve the people of their
burdens, are making all haste to de.
nounce the proposed action in Con-
giess 10 place sugar on The free list.
TO us, il seems as though they are
not acting up to their professions.
There is no question that by far tie
heaviest burden imposed upon the
people by the present tariff, is the
duty OH sugar. No other article of
such general consumption is taxed.
In many homes the sugar bill i, larger
than the bill for -four. One of the
largest manufacturing establishments
in the country which has under IT'S
direction several large boarding
houses, found that more money was
paid out for sugar than Tor bread
stutfs of all kinds. And what is more
in almost all classes Of people, the
smaller the revenue OF the family be-
yond the amount necessary to buy
bare bread, the larger the expend'
ture for sugar and molasses. These
articles are at once the necessity aud
the luxury Of the poorer classes; much
cheaper than butter and meats they
take the place Of item TO a large ex
tent. To prove thi, take a look into
the lunch boxes and baskets Of the
thousands who cannot go TO their
homes for their dinner-.hese consli
tute the great bulk Of the laborers,
mechanics, railroad men and working
women in our larger cities ana vii
lagos and you will find that The one lux.
lry is piece OF cake or some other ar
icle component part OF which l.
sugar. And. yet, this article NOR,
generally used by people to whom S.
or $40 or SIS year is large sum.
Is taxed SO per cent AT 0al0rem, by
he present tariff just to build up the
,ugar interests Of semi-rebellious
Louisiana The same grade Of gran.
llated sugar which is selling in Bos
ION, New York and Philadelphia al
Oh or ga cents per pound. is selling
III London for 81 or 3A cents
From well authenticated statistics il
Is estimated that the average con
sumption Of sugar per capita in the
United States is 46 pounds. 1t is
considerable larger in England for
the reason that it is cheaper there
than here. AS the price falls the
consumption increases. This fact is
fully attested by the rapidly increas
ing consumption in this coutry since
the recent great decline in prices.
The increased consumption is larger
among people in moderate circum
stances than among those who are
able to enjoy wider range of food
especially of fruits and such luxuries.
The fact is the duty on sugar is es-
sentially tax OH the poor--on the
article which certainly only takes
second rank as a necessity Of life in
the line Of food. 1t is a tax which
reaches all classes but falls most
heavily on the poorer classes. At the
present price of granulated sugar, as
often as the working man pays a 81
for sugar he pays 50 cents into the
treasury of the United States. If he
purchase lower grade, for every
dollars worth he pays the Govern
ment nearly dollar for the privilege.
Such are the simple facts. Is such a
tax on an article we cannot manu-
facture and must import either right,
just or equitable We do not be-
lieve it is. We believe in taxing be.
yond the purchasing limit every ar
ticle of foreign production, the pro.
duction of which is practicable as the
result of American labor, but of ad.
hitting duty free everything which
we can not produce in either the
agricultural or manufacturing depart.
ments, and of this latter class is sugar
Now if these journals which are
always demanding that the burdens
be taken from the necessaries OF life
and from the laboring classes, as they
are designated, are sincere, we should
think they would be the first to JOIN
us in our demand for free sugar, or
at the very least n great reduction of