New-York tribune., 1892-01-08

Diack wrc'ches who are in great luck when they
get couple of shillings for days work.
There Is no land tax whatever The planter
mas never been so weak as to allow that al
his vast acres, his houses, stores and crop
and his personal property of whatever kind
are un'ouched by the tsA-gatheIer For
the most part retaining the suffrage TO himself
and the wealthicr blacks by means of a large
property qualification he has not even tolerated
poll taX The customs harbor dues collected
from mariners, licenses from negro yendcrs and
boatncn, excise. court fees and postotice collec-
tons are the only sources of revenue permitted
by the planting fraternity. Of course il is an
estimate, but am very sure it is fair one, that
of the S630,S00 collected in revenues in tie
l"eward Islands last year fully $500 600 cane
from the los, ,040 colorcd inhabitants When Won
talk with planter a Government official about
the injustice of charging such heavy customs rates
on American food products, he invariably replies ::
we DO that because it is practically the only
way VIC have of compelling the negroes to con-
tribute to the expenses of the Government" I
have heard that from every white man with whom
/ have talked, I think without exception.
dare say he believes it, because it has been given
out officially as the British Governments reason
for opposing reciprocity and, naturally, put in that
way, it fetches many Planters to the support of
the Government view But it is absurdly false
Attached to the tariff law of each island
there is clause eXempting from taxation what
are called estate supplies, and that is sub
stantialiy everything used in the cultiva-
ton of sugar-al machinery, hardware
engines boilers, etc. These exemptions
leave the sugar industry wholly untaxed, and
enable the planter to import free almost all his
home consumption except of food-stuns and cloth
(TOVprnmpnf in frcc foo
and included in them, by liberal construction
Of the law, are the domestic necessities of the
officials SO that the negroes are the oily per-
sons who really do pay full rates on their sup
plies, and they catch II on all they consume.
In reply to the remark which have quoted above
about the necessity Of heavy taxes on food-stuls
as the only means of reaching the negroes have
often asked, Why not tax cottOns: ii is they
who consume the cOttons, isn't it ?' The answer
to this question is invariably cvasivc-Scneiaily
a mild sort Of negative. But the true answer *
to be found in the statistics Of population IN those
OF cotton imports and in the character of the
goods exhibited in the stores. In 1890 cotton
goods to the value of S32l 800 came into these
Lceward Islands They were composed almost
wholly of the cheapest stuff which even the cheap
mills of Manchester turn out. II is absurd
TO pretend that these goods were consumed in any
considerable quantity by the 1853 white people
who live here. They were consumed by the
negroes and went into the cotton dresses, neck
clothes, coats, trousers and headware which You
see on them wherever You turn. On these cot
duty was charged, and S?7,oo5 was OBJ
tanned in revenues from S32 ,96j Of imports;
The imports of flour, however, amounted
to only S276,975, and them. by specific duty
OF 81 barrel, revenues 10 the amount of $4,000
were collected. There be 10 doubt what
ever that greater proportion of the cotton I'M
ports was consumed by the colorcd people than
of the flour imports, so that II is a mere preten@
to claim that they can be taxed only by heavy
charges American -four. The truth is that
every fax bears directly them. The planter
has had hard times unquestionahlv. and Is now
overwhelmed with financial perpeAitcs. but these
not the result of high wages nor chiefly of bis
portion Of the taxes. On The contrary, the public
burdens fall him with exceeding lightnces.
thanks TO his own astutcncss, a'.d he pay his
labor about n'tlc labor could possibly re
ceivc. The expense of government II outr'ec"usly
high, especially as the kind OF government Il
compcnsates is misgoyernment, ior which the
people, instead Of paying, ought To be paid. In
the end too. il falls upon the sugar industry.
whether charged against planter or negro.
capitalist laborer. But the misfortuncs Of the
planting classes, considered apart from thoS' Of
the whole people. are due 10 their own
extravaganza and msmanaGcment perhaps ~ much
as to the competition of tie sugar-bcct' of Europe
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