Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-09-21

fering among them viii be very great,
Is 10 definite time Is given for the 10
fneries 70 start up again"
This Is the way in which the beneh-
cent trust has been able to steady the
price Of refined sugar so that in more
than two months it has declined less
than one-ffth Of cent, while raw,
thanks 10 the ''standof" qualities Of the,
trusts buyer, has declined fully 1 cent.
II costs less that nine-sixteenths ofa cent
per pound to refine sugar. We consume
an average Of 70 pounds per capita.
Hence at present prices the trust Is
making at the rate Of about $50, 900, 900
profit per year on its capital, watered
from about SO, 900, 900 up to S75, ,000, 900.
A most beautiful arrangement for the
refneriesl But they cannot maintain so
wide difference between raw and re-
fined sugars forever. for foreign refined
can be proftably imported at 500 cents
after paying the duty of one-half cent.
II it were not for this duty, granulatcd
sugar could not sell for more than 4.J0
cents.
This duty was given to the trust by
Mckinley and Aldrich in consideration
of prospective financial aid to be given
to the Republican party. 1t has been
openly charged by Colonel Mcclure that
the trust fought the battle in Rhode
Island that reelected Senator Aldrich,
and that it contributed to the national
Republican campaign corruption fund
in 1892. Probably it did contribute
$1,000 or 100000 to aid its friends.
But what a bargainl The half cent
duty is worth $50, 100000 year to the
trust.
We wish to call the attention Of Chair
man Wilson of the ways and means
committee to the great fortune which
the trust makes each year out of this
half cent duty and remind him that it is
paid by the 65, 600, 900 unwilling subjects
of the trust in this country. We would
remind him that they prefer fuctuating
and low prices to steady and high prices;
also that the tariff in this case has be-
come what the New York Tribune calls
an instrument of extortion" not only
from consumers, but also from produc-
ers of raw sugars and from laborers in
reineries. It is the duty which gives
life to the trust and enables it to choke
off competition by buying up new rein
cries at exorbitant prices.
Because the trust is the only buyer oi
raw sugars on this side of the Atlantic
it dictates prices SO that, while refined
is always higher, raw sugar is invariably
lower here than in Europe. And wher
the trust has to purchase in Europe--ai
it does every year-it always pays NOR
than the American price for the sam'
grade of raw sugar. We have seen how
the trust, being the only employer, cal
tyrannize over laborers. 1t is omnipo
tent. Workingmen who are not fortu
nate enough to know another occupation
must either starve or submit to its term
and be roasted alive.
We wish also to remind Attorney Gen
eral Olney that the trust is most fla
grant violator of the federal antitrus
law, which makes illegal "every con
tract, combination in the form of trus
or otherwise, or conspiracy in restrain
of trade or commerce among the severa
states or with foreign nations" Not onl
does this own 80 per cent of the refinerie
east of the Rocky mountains, but it ha
, for some time been a joint owner wit
l Spreckels of the two refneries on the Pa
cifc coast. It conspired to obtain COZ
troll of the Spreckels refinery in Sa
Francisco by offering Spreckels a bi
salary and half of the profits if he woul
combine his refinery, with 1000 barre
capacity, with the trusts refinery ther'
with 1900 barrels capacity. He accep
ed and is now manager of the Wester
Sugar Reineries company-the wester
!. end of this Sugar trust. It is such viz
orous end that it never sells for price
; lower than those in the east, and at or
: time (July 8, 1892 its price for gram
lated sugar was ST when the easter
price was only Al cents.
Messrs. Wilson and Olney, don't TO
get this most beneficent trust!
. BYRON W. HOLT.