Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-04
sATURDAY........FEBRUARY 4, 1855



4 year or more ago we reproduced ON
editorial from the state which we inter
pretod to mean that that paper was in
favor Of abolishingthe duty on sugar, or,
nj the least, Of reducing the duty largely.
We have since seen an article IN the
,Ulafc which was intended TO show that
more money might be saved to the peo-
pie 10y reducing the customs-duties on
other articles than would be saved to
them by abolishing or reducing the
duty on sugar but We do not know that
our neighbor inSnded thereby 10 wish
10 be understood as being opposed TO
taking the duty of sugar, or to re-
duciuC it,
The C0uYicr-JoVgHQiand papers which
follow its lead, and MIR. CARLISLE and
statesmen who follow his lead, are either
known or understood to be opposed to
the abolition of the tariff on sugar. For
this reason we were especially glad 10
find our evening contemporary coming
out in favor Of cheaper sugar.
We now have the pleasure of repro
ducing an article on the same subject
from our neighbor the Times. 1t is as
follows:
"The Government has $40, 900, 900
surplus revenue, but 1t taxes every citi-
zen in the United States So n year on
the principle OF fostering a protected IN
terest on sugar. Aud tins is only sam
pie of the mOnstrous iniqmty OF the pro-
tectivc tamil
The time has come when sugar, an
article OF daily consumption by almost
every family in the country, should he
made free. The duty as at present col
lccted reaches nearly . cents per pound.
The average consumption OF sugar per
clpita is found to be forty pounds. Con
scuuentlv every family OF twelve per
sons paws Sl2 per anuum more for their
sugar han they would if the article was
free OF duty.
II is certainly remarkable that tax
which above all others falls upon the
poor should be supported by anybody
for any reason; but it is strangest of all
that it should be supported for the ayowcd
reason that it falls upon every man, wo-
man, and child in the United States, and
benefits nobody except a few sugar
planters in Louisiana. Yet Mr. WAITER
son and others OF his school assign
that very reason Tor continuing the high
tx upon sugar. They claim that the
duty on sugar is strictly "for revenue,
and does not make the people at large
contribute millions OF dollars to the
pockets of monopOlists, d" hard-heart-
Cd capitalists &C., DC. This means that
though thepeople ofthe United Statespay
fifty millions OF dollars OF customs-duties
upon sugar, and then millions more as
profit upon those fifty millions, yet, be
cause there are only a few sugar-pIanters
in this country this tax ouoht to be con-
tinued. This argument implies that II
there were large number of persons
directly benefited 10y the duty on sugar
it ought to be abolished. In that case
the sugar. makers would become "mo-
nopolists, and the right thing for Con-
gress TO do would be 10 abolish the tax.
However, We are for cheaper sugar,
and are willing for each man who agrees
with US to assign his own reasons for SO
doing. Even the Alexandra Gazette,
a rabid anti Protectionist journal, writes
as follows:
THE people of this country now
number about 60,000,0 600, all of whom
eat sugar and fish, and why they should
be made to pay double price for those
articles, for no other good reason than
70 add TO the profits of few sugar
planters in Louisiana, and fewer fish
packers in Massachusetts,, is one Of the
many puzzles Of the existing tariff. ~
The New York World is another anti
Protectionist journal Nevertheless, that
paper too has joined hands with those
which clamor for cheaper sugar. We
are in favor of the total abolition of the
tax, or tariff. or duty upon sugar; but
we recognize as allics all who for any
reason advocate the abolition Of anypor-
ton of the sugar-tax. The World keeps
up fire upon the sugar-trust system,
and thus aids the friends Of tariff reform
who are working for the repeal Of all
sugar-tarih laws.
A resolution recently passed unani-
mously by the national House Of Repre-
sentatives shows, though sugar is not
named, that the sugar-trust people are
not out OF SIGHT of our lawmakers.
The House OF Representatives ordered
the subject TO be investigated, stating
the reasons in the preamble as follows:
Whereas. it is alleged that certain
individuals and corporations in the
United States engaged in manufacturing,
producing, mining. or dealing in some
OF the necessaries of life and other pro-
auctions have combined for the purpose
OF controlling ~ curtailng the pro-
duction or supply of the same and there
by increasing their price to the people
OF the country, which combinations are
known as associations, trusts, pools, and
like names"
Let US have free sugar.
"
blair -Soprauoa Conrt