New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-25
WHAT THEY DEMAND.


adopted may not prove stable. In the =" views SUD
mitted by the minority Of the WAYS and Means Com
mittec. great solcitude Is expressed oi t"o la'oS
q the people who grow cora. wheat cotton Nc od'S
and other agricultural products They Ii seems are
20 be unjusty taxed for the benefit of domestic pro
auccrs of sugar The minority however. is forced To
admit that not only the farmers but all other people
will be relieved Of the payment of $f73OooOo or more
per vcar-aftcr dcductns the proposed bounty-on ac
count of the duties sugar which. as the minority
correctly states mainly for revenue
The minority does not show how many Millions IN
addition 10 the $4,000 900 OF duties. were exacted
from consumers Of sugar last by the sugar trust
which il the proposed plan be adopted VIII De saved
10 the pockets Of the consumers II Is barely possbe
that the solcitude OF the minority In behaii OF tc
Sugar Trust although not expressed Is not Ic'S sroHs
Ind sincere now than it was two years ago.
xbap the snpar schedule Of the Dark Lantern"
bill was changed and modified in response TO the ap
peals and demands Of that powerful COMBINE Inc
present bill if enacted into law, VIII not destroy ,ne
sugar refining industry Of the United states Du' ~
<v do what the Mills bill would not have done-pre
vent combination Of capitalists from eNactlns IN the
future heavy and unjust toll from every consumer
of sugar in the country. The minority ignores the
fact that the farmers of the country are among the
strongest advocates of free sugar coupled Win
bounty TO encourage domestic production
One example. out Of scores which might be clted III
proof Of the fact is furnished by the lid District OF
Michigan which has been represented In Congress
for the last six years by Mr. O'DonnelL 1t IS ais
tIct in which the population is largely composed Oh
FARMERS 1850. years ago. the value OF the I'M
proved farms according to the report Of the United
states Consns exceeded $4,000 600. The value OF
implements and machinery was S2.S1j.0oo; the vaue
of live stock Ss459O0O the value OF farm products
for the preceding year. $1364GOOo' the number OF
horses $1,000 of mich COWS, $1,000 OF Otlcr cattle
60 coo: OF sheep mot including lambs, $4,000; of
swine. $4,000. Among the firm products were the
following: Corn. G1l3.O0O bushels wheat, 6,i2O,-
900 bushels: oats. 2.350000 bushels; potatoes.
ao7 900 bushels; hay 19s 900 tons; WOOL 22ll, 900
pounds.
Thcse figures show that Mr. o'Donnen repre-
SCENTS not only strong farmers district. but one OF
diversified agriculture. Ever since h. entered Con
p,e,s Mr. O'DouneI has been a finn and Jealous
advocate of free sugar. with a bounty 20 aid and
encourage home production. only month "'tr hc
took his scat In the NLlNth Congress he offered
bill to repeal all du'ic, on sugar Imported INTO inc
United States. The bill also prohibited the impcTar
ton Of any sugar upon which an export duty hal
been imposed and il provided for the payment OF
bounty Of ! per cent per pound upon all cane. bees
and sorghum sugar produced in the United states
and appropriated - 900 600 to pay said lounty on
domestic sugar produced in 1856 and 1857. In
Narch. 1886. NJ. O'Donncll delivered an elaborate
speech in the House in favor Of his bill. and II was
widely circulated throughout his district In No
kembcr 1ssf. he had been elected TO Congress by a
plurality Of 1.22S votes: in November. 1856 he
@as reelected by a plurality Of 47i6 votes. and IN
1sss his plurality GG02 votcs-morc than five
time a large il had been four years before In
view Of these facts ono can hardly help believing
Tint the farmers Of Michigan. at least. are strongly
In favor Of free with bounty to the domestic
producer.
In conversation with The Tribune correspondent on
the subject Mr.. O'Donnen said e. know that there
IS strong prejudice against the payment Of bounte>.
and that IT Is not wholly unreasonable but in the case
of sugar believe that it would be wise and bene-
fetal policy. A like policy adopted in Michigan
half century ago in regard 70 salt and IL proved OF
immense benefit 70 tho state. In $40 $1,000 was
appropriated 10 help the Development Of the industry.
and I'D to 1912 over 500 900 had been expended and
that year 81 1000 more appropriated. The eN-
periments not being successful a. hoped for, IN
1850 all property on which salt produced was
exempted from toXation. and ten cents bounty for
each bli,hc of sa WAS authorized. The consequence
was that the salt product Wa increased from 1000
barrels TO 5000 barrels year.
Then the legislature fixed the bounty at 10 cents
a barrel. excmptng the lands, blocks, machinery and
product from taxation The production nearly doubled
the next year, and $4,000 barrels We're thrown on
the market TO be again doubled in the following
wear. The good work went on, until now more than
100000 barrels Of Michigan salt are offered for sao
each year at wonderfully low prices The Michigan
legislator who proposed this wise measure to build
up the salt industry Of the PcninSuar state en-
1eople OF Michigan were then prcjudiccd against
tonntes But the father Of the law secured lis en-
actmcnt and now his State manufactures nearly half
OF the salt consumed in the United states
Mr.. ODonnen continued: The areas in the United
States in which, with proper encouragement sue"
can be produced from becs and sorghum as well a.
nom cane are very extensive and widely distributed
All that is needed IS proper encouragement ana ana
10 place the industry on finn basis. once es-
tabli,hcd have doubt that it VIII thi1ve' ana tat
our people within a few years viii not Only DC III
dependent of foreign producers Of sugar, but VIII DO
able 10 Obtain that necessary Of life at lower prices
than they are now obliged 10 pay
There is one element Of the cost OF sugar AT
present Mr.. oDonncn added, (Which is generally
overlooked by our people; and yet it is one Of con
siderable importance. The consumer OF sugar In the
United not only pays 10 his own Government
the duty every pound mported-io the sugar ou'S
IS substantially tariff for revenue ony-but he also
contributes TO the support OF the country from which
his sugar is brought. When investigated the sub
sect ! found that in years importatons of sugar
and molasscs, valued at about SG1 OOoOOO the con-
sumcrs this country paid in the form OF an export
tax the sum of S3,30l ,561, which went to support
foreign Governments. That was an average Of D IL
per cent ad vaoren. OF the sum mentioned. Cuba
received the Hons share, S1,023,7l3; Brazil re
ceived 1916 72s; the Philippine Islands, Sl13,o92
British West Indies, 5000, 7s4; French West indies
S1I6OO4; Porto Rico, Sl59,466; san Domingo, SlO7,
l34 and the rest. in smaller sums was PAID TO
halfdozen countries. suppose that we pay now, IN
the form of export duties on sugar, for the bcneht
of foreign Governments, about onchalf as much as
would be required TO pay the bounty which the pending
bill would require TO be paid to our own farmers and
planters who may produce sugar from cane bccts
and sorghum. / think it would be well for our
neoDe 10 take that fact into consideration
since the bill Was reported u the House the repre-
sentatiyes OF the Icrncrs hlvc renewed tbclr
eNo,ts IN have the scitlnc changed HEY now de
mand precisely what the sugar Trust through It's New
York representatives, demanded and obtained from inc
J,emocratic majority Of the Ways and Means Com
,nittee tfo wears ago, far classification Is con
cerncd The Mills Committee originally fixed the
Svidinc line where the present committee has estab
ilshed H. al No. l6 Dutch standard The sugar Trust
conneied Mills ard his associates to change the line
70 NJ IA Dutch standard 1t remains to b. seen whether
The Republican committee VIII be plant ana Initiate
lie acfion Of It's Dark Lantern" predecessor II
seems that the renners-Sugar Trust mcn--w as
mich dissatisfied with the 30 per cent and 40 per