The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-08
WHAT WILL THE LEGISLATURE DOf
a Material Interest Of More Importance
to Kansas than Many Discussed.

"A very Important anu lar IedCHlle
question. one which involves the materia
welware, present and future, of Kansas
will seek solution at the hands of the
present legislative. 1t is an interes
which concerns the producer, the manu-
facturer and the capitalist alike, and tC
neglect which might not be directly felt
but the possibilities Of which no body Of
men, legislature or otherwise, however
far seeing can estimate. We refer to the
growing of cane and beets and the manu-
facture of sugar.
Two or three years ago the
expert chemists of the national
agricultural department, by a
series of tests, thorough and complete,
covering extensive areas of the country,
ascertained, beyond question, that the
sol and climate of Kansas were better
adapted to sorghum and kindred canes
than those Of any other locality, circum-
scribed or extensive, within the boun-
diaries of the United States. More
strictly did they find this true as to the
territory lying south of the great Arkan-
sas river where the soils and cane in
variably showed the greatest per cent of
saccharine matter.
Later on, in fact during the past sum-
mer, contrary TO the precon-
ceived notions and conclusions of
Professor Wiley, who held that
the climate was too dry for the
successful growing of the sugar beet, it
was learned by him from both chemical
analysis and actual test. that the beet of
! Kansas in sugar bearing qualities and in
superior growth rivaled the best products
of Germany. The demonstration was
acknowledged to have been an utter and
unlocked for surprise. To crown all OF
! their encouragements the bureau under
Prof. Wiley, late last fall, discovered
that the certain green, gummy constitu-
ent residue of sorghum, which held back
! fully fifty per cent of the sugar and
which impaired the sorghum-taste"
TO syrups and sugar could be entirely
eliminated by a treatment of alcohol,
which alcohol can be cheaply produced
by the manufacturers in the develop
ment Of sugar or its processes. The last
/ discovery is most important one, as it
will very largely increase the yield of
every ton of cane.
But just as these important factors in
the manufacture Of sugar in Kansas had
been developed, and townships and
municipalities were moving for the
growing of cane and the erection of
mills, the'congress abolished the tariff on
foreign sugars. just at q time when
even conservative men were commencing
TO take an enthusiastic view of the
future, it being plain to be seen that
the chances were that every township
might have its sugar factory, that
in short Kansas might grow exceedingly
wealthy and prosperous in the raising of
cane and of beets and in supplying the
world with its sugar, one of the impor
tant items of marginal profits was cut
off completely and irrevocably, that of
national protection.
In addition to the tariff the state of
Kansas had also offered an additional
bounty. Probably with the action of the
present legislature the sugar interests or
the state, upon the success of which so
much stress has been laid, and so much
counted for the future, must succeed of
fall. If the bounty, with the tariff,
is to be cut off before the
interest is developed and put on to
paying footing, not only must
the contemplated plants be given over
but the mills already built, some of
which were successfully operated last !
fall, be abandoned, all the capital invest |
ed and all the valuable experience OBJ /
tanned lost. This is the question that the /
legislature should meet, not only in all |
the light obtainable, but with the sound |
est and far reaching judgment possible. |
1t will be no use to say that the general /
government protects every conceivable |
manufacturing interests of the east, but |
when it came to Kansas that which
promised more than any other single in
dustry, involving capital. labor and the /
soil alike, our state and people |
were ignored; while that is true, !
and while we were in this |
interest left to shift for ourselves |
the question is can we shift for ourselves; !
can we, within ourselves, as a state. so /
encourage this promising interest as TO |
bring the capital and sustain the enter /
prise until its gains shall have so multi 1
piled as to become a mighty, unending /
and profitable source of wealth to our |
people.
With cane and beets combined a sugar |
plant could be run continuously for 1
from seven to nine months in the year. /
The present law was passed tor = def |
mite, fixed and specified time, for the |
express purpose of protecting and en-
the sugar industry and devel- /
oping il in the state of Kansas. 1t would /
be an act of at least very bad faith on |
the part of the state to repeal, or materi- /
ally modify the law before that period .
had expired, and most especially so after
parties acting in good faith, had invest
ed their money aud spent their time. /
Over 81 coo, GOO is now invested in the
sugar industry IN Kansas, and no factory
in the state has, so far, made any money
outside of the bounty.
Under the stimulus Of the present law
it has been demonstrated that the sugar
beet can be successfully raised in Kansas
"A fact that alone is, and will be. worth
more TO the state than all :he money she
has paid out for bounty on sugar. 1t
has cost private individuals thousands Of
dollars TO demonstrate this. but il has
been done conclusively. 1t places Kan
sas at the front as a ugsr-produciug