The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-02
THE SUGAR BOUNTY.

In hisrushing, busy age IN OUT wishing.
bnsv country. it takes very short time to
forget anything. no matter how important
and 40 no doubt 1t has entirely been for
gotten that under the Morrill, War tariff.
which was in effect up to two years ago.
the only two articles from which the South
darived the slightest benefit from the pro-
,sct,ve features of that Tariff were sugar
and rice. When the Mckinley tariff law
went into effect, however, custom duties
were greatly increased on all articles except
thess two of Southern production. and
they we're put on the free-iist on the pre-
tanse that they were articles Of food, though
in reality. because it WAS determined 20 do
priyethe South OF. whatever beneft 1t might
an;ov from being protected against the pau
per labor of the West Indies ana the Sand
,sich Islands. But even the radicals were
not 90 barefaced as TO deprive the South Of
all the incidental benefits OF protection
while deliberately increasing The taxation
Of the whole country for the benefit OF the
North and so a tub to the whale was given
the sugar planter in the shape OF SUBSIDY
OF course it was never expected that this
subsidy could last, inasmuch as 1t Is too
directly opposed to the spirit OF onr lnstltu-
tons to openly give special bounty from
tbe public Treasury 10 any one class OF casi-
zens and the idea when 1t was given was
that 1t would soon be abolished, and then
the South would be deprived Of every benefit
- 80 Ioftl
The Charleston News and Courier, however,
recently attacked the sugar bounty as an
amount of money taken from the earnings
of those who work and given as present 70
the sugar growers. To this Hon. William
Porcher Miles, formerly Of South Carolina
but now a sugar planter OF LOUISIANA bias
replied in which he denies most strenuously
the charge that sugar planters do not work
and shows conolusiyely that they
do not only work. but that the
work on sugar plantation Is far
harder and more incessant and more
costly. (wages being 80 much higher than
any other agricultural work" He says also
that so far from the bounty being present,
Il takes very nearly all of it in addition to
proceeds of sale TO help pay expenses. He
frankly. however, admits, as Democrat,
that the payment of bounties is wrong in
prInciple. and that he. as every other sugar
planter. would prefer such incidental pro
lection as would be given them under re-
formed tariff line for revenue only as was pro-
yided for in the Mills bill, and as Br. Cleye-
land suggested in mis- famous tarf reform
message.
Such sentiment expressed by any one
under similar conditions is refreshing, and
at once stamps Mr.. Miles IS q true Demo
crat and patriotic citizen. What North
ern protected manufacturer would to-day ba
willing b openly admit that the Mckinley
Tariff, which is only a tax laid upon the
consumers Of the country for the direct
benefit of monopoly. is wrong in princi-
pie. " and that they should not receive any
such class privilege? There is not one. To
the contrary they would, each and all, from
Carnegie down try to get their arms still
deeper in the public treasury, and advocate
measures which, so far from placing them
on an equality with their fellow-citzens-
as would be the case under tariff for rev.
enue only-would still further add to the
peoples burdens for their benefit.
These monopolist exactions however, are.
it is hoped. nearly ended, and all indics-
tons point plainly 10 the fact that the PEG
pie are tired Of being longer imposed on.
| A Democratic President aud a Democratic
House, to be in all likelihood soon followed
by a Democratic Senate will speedily give
the country the relief desired. and we will
have a reformed tariff imposed only for rails
ing such revenue as the country demands,
and adjusted 50 as to DO equitable to all
classes and sections.