National Republican., 1886-12-04
nreaI.fast Table Ietter to the presldent.

sion by their presence.
Breakfast Table Letter to the President.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: One thousand millions of
dollars have been paid in the past twenty
years by the people of this country for the
privilege of using sugar and molasses.
Sugar, like bread, has become a necessity A
barrel Of flour weighs about two hundred |
pounds The sugar tax is about ~ cents
pound. If the same tax were placed upon |
-four, it would amount to IS per barrel. Ifthis
Congress and administration should attempt |
to levy such a tax, IL would produce q consti- |
tutional revolution in the government. Yet |
sugar now costs our people more than bread.
One.tenth of the sugar aud molasses con-
sumed is produced in this country by few |
planters in the states Of louisiana and Mlssis-
sippi. These men own the mills and the soil.
They employ class of seryile laborcrs who
are underpaid and are denied their rights as
citizens, These monopolists exist by a custom
tax upon a necessity not indigenous to the soil.
The proper locality for the cultivation of the
sugar cane is below the frost line.
The time has come for the removal 9f the
sugar tax, which aggregated in the fiscal year
1885, S52,l75,1iO. The ad valorem rate Of duty
would be within a fraction Of Il per cent
| The use Of sugar is rs universal as the use Of
matches. The removal of the tax on matches
broke up the combination Of millionaire
| monopoists who controlled the business.
| Persons Of small means are now able to COM
| pete, and prices of matches to-day are but a
1.-THE OF what they were before the removal OF
the internal tax.
The internal tax upon tobacco aggregated in
the year 1885 the sum OF s27,907,362. This sum
was taken from the people who consumed or
those who cultivated the taxed tobacco The
tobacco busiress, by reason Of this government
tax, has become a vast monopoly in the hands
ofa few. Strike Of this tax. 1t will produce
the same effect on tobacco as upon matches.
The sum total of the reduction on sugar, mo-
lassCs, and tobacco would aggregate about ss),-
OOO,OO0.
Sugar, molasses, and tobacco have become to
the people ofthe United States articles of neces-
sity. The revenues of the government are
fully 500, O,OOO, GOO in excess OF its needs
so per cent and the internal revenue about 2j
per cent. II IS simple process; the people
understand and would appreciate 1t. They
would remember with gratitude the President
who would recommend and the Congress who
would enact the law.
Mr.. President. in your first annual message
you state "7hC fact Hat our revenues are in cr.
ccSs n The actual needs Qf an economical dimiHis-
trotion Of nc government juStlGeS a reduction in
hedmotmt Graeied from hc pe0plc for is sHppor!."
az think he reduction should be ma'lc IN
he rCrCnWG dGircd from a tar upon The imported
accessories n iVe. Uc thus dTec''y lessen he
coSt qt iiring in dery family Of NE land, and re-
leasc to he people in orery humble home larger
measure Of The roirdrds of frugal industry"
The policy you here recommended is sound
and sensible, and the time has arrived to cX-
eCuto 1t. The people are weary OF intricate
plans for revising the tax laws They want a
bold, pointed message; they want you to
specify, not generalIzc, as in your last message,
but name the articles from which the tax is TO
y. Ieir~ th's ihav avnnct vou 10
consider that justice aud fairness dictate that
any modification shall be in the interest OF the
masses, and not Of the few. They know that
the internal revenue war tax on tobacco is not
necessary for the support Of the government,
and that II is n weight upon the people, while
1t enables the milionaires to control the
farmer who raises and the mechanic who
manufactures 1t
They know that If the tax were increased on
sugar and molassos It would not stimulate
homo production, for the reason stated, and
that the percentage of demand is increasing
rapidly every year, for use as food for man and
beast.
Financiers also know that the government
has paid in the past eleven months, 5123, ,OI6,-
go Of Q per cent. bonds, that only s7l ,l5l, ,25l
remain unpaid, Ofths amount s7,0lOOO) has
already been called in thus leaving but s6i-
C0O,OOO uncalled aud unpaid, and tha. IL is safe
to estimate that by the end of the fiscal year,
Jure 80, 1887, oil the per cent. bonds will be
paid From that date there will be period Of
four years andthree months before the govern
ment will hayethe option of paying any of the
~ per cent. bonds.
, It Is imperative, from these figures, that
reduction should commence by the lst of July
, of taxes equal to the rate of sSO,OOO,OOO per
annum. Then there would be largo surplus
each year to appropriate for the construction
3 Of grand new navy.
This reduction must be made, or the hoard
ing of the surplus will produce financial
crisis.
Mr.. President, Cuba is located below the
frost line. Not per cent of her sugar lands
are now cultivated. 1t Is estimated that the
island of Cuba could support population OF
+ 100000, We could exchange the products OF
. our farms and factories for the crude sugar and
3 molGsses raised in Cuba upon cane the average
= life of which is twenty.three years, while in
= Louisiana 1t dies in three or four years.
Hare ire a statesman among us lpho can accom-
plish hiS desirable relation bs,cen he hco Ioo.
p'g'
THE NATIONAL REPuBLIcAS.
The Commissioners 20 Adjust.
l