Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-17

when the Union was discussing Mr..
Cables letter the other day, it said among
other things that "the Mckinley bill as
passed by the house struck blow at the
most gigantic trus: of the day by putting
sugar on the free list" Practically
speaking the Union is again stating some
Thing that is not true. When the tariff
bill LETT the house. all sugars below six
teen Dutch standard were proposed to be
admitted free. II the bill had become a
law as it left the house. all ordinary SUI
gar, brown or yellow. which is largely
used by the poorer people. would have
oeen admitted free. and the poorer people
who could not sfford to buy the higher
refined quality would at least have had
the coarser and cheaper sugar for daily
use without being taxed heavily for il.
The finance committee then took the mat
ter in hand, and il may be seen how much
IL had the interests of the poor man at
heart. when it proposed an amendment
by which duty should be placed upon
all sugars above thirteen Dutch standard.
Unless man is IA sugar refiner or is prac-
tically acquainted with or has some
knowledge of the sugar trade, this matter
of standards" might look harmless
enough and the people deceived Just as
the Union would have them deceived in
the statement quoted. But the proposed
amendment meant that all sugars that
could be used in any way without being
refined were to be taxed, and the poor
man would receive no particle of ben
eft, nor was it ever intended
that he should. But all raw sugar would
be admitted free So while the consumer
of sugar, let him be rich or poor, would
have to pay the increase in price by this
taxation, the sugar refiner and the sugar
trust would reap the benefit. They
would get their raw material free and
under the combine make their own prices
The amendme Mt was adopted and is
now one of the provisions of the McKin-
ley bill which the Union points to with
80 much pride and complacency.
In this connection il should be said that
recently Mr.. Plumb moved in the senate
that tax of $l.25 gallon should be
placed on distilled spirits. The object of
this was TO provide a revenue to meet the
extravagant appropriations made by the
government. Senator Plumb declared
there would be deficiency of $50, 900, :
900, 'just as sure as the setting sun "
His motion did not. however. prevail;
sugar could be taxed but whisky could
not The combined sugar trust could
grow enormously wealthy by the people
footing the bills in taxation, and the
powerful whisk trust could also accumu~
late vast wealth by the government not
wishing to disturb it in its business.
And this is the bill the republicans
would wish the people to believe that its
provisions are beneficial to the country
generally, and by which the poor man
will receive a special benefit. This is the
bill that Its admirers said. when it left the
house. was such an admirable one, and
that it should be passed without any, or
at least very few, amendments, and yet
when it went to a republican senate it
came back with 464 amendments. This
is the bill by which two thousand per-
sons are largely benefited. and over six
ty two millions of people are impover-
ished.
And when Mr.. Cable says be opposes
| such bin. organs like the Union fly 10
its rescue because it is folsted upon the
people by the party to which it belongs,
or at least that delectable portion of the
party which has control in Washington.
without any regard to the peoples wishes
or the nations benefit.