The herald., 1894-12-17
THE SUGAR COMBTNE.

John De Witt Warner has issued, un-
der direction of the tariff reform COM
mittee of the Reform club of New York,
history of the sugar distribution COM
bne which will refresh the memories of
newspaper readers and commercial men
concerning the inception and operation
of one OF the gigantic monopolies of
modern times.
Mr.. Warner reoites that on January
90, 1894. the house of representatives
decidsd to refuse all protection to the
sugar trust-leaving 1t without either
favor or obstruction of law to earn its
own living. On February 1st, the tariff
bill, with this and other amendments.
was to be reported back to the house for
final action. On January 30th there
began a sprinkle, which by the next
day had grown into a shower, and on
February 1st had become a deluge
of kilograms from all parts of
the country, urging congressman
to kill the amendment by which
the sugar trust was denied sub.
sidy. The kilograms, which had
been heretofore arriving largely at the
residences and hotels of members, now
came showering about the floor until
the matter became one OF amusing COM
ment-some favored members having a
perfect sheaf of the yellow favore; and
the curious interest with which at first
members had compared similar sugges-
tions from widely differing quarters of
the country having turned into a simple
nod and II have got another" which
was heard on every eide, as the pages
continued to deliver the messages.
These were busy days, and kilograms on
. variety of subjects were not go rare as
to be curositiss; but the most easy so.
ing member WAS reused by the extent
to which the whole country seemed sud-
denly clamoring for higher priced sugar,
and, as it developed that these messages
came almost exclusively from who lesale
grocers. somewhat of curious interest
was aroused.
Older members, howsv er, simply
smiled and shook their heads as they
recalled similar. though n OF 40 extreme,
experiences when the Mckinley bill |
was pending, and except that in that
case the southwest seemed to be most |
stirred, while on this latter occasion |
Illinois seemed the storm center, they
remarked nothing noteworthy. except
that the sugar combine seemed to be
working better than ever.
The interest which then, and since,
has been shown in the distribution com.
bine by which an overwhelming major
ity of the grocers of the United States
are acting as special agents of the trust,
under special written contract, upon an
agreement for definite commissions, and
the Importance of the subject, involv-
ing, as the one item of sugar does, prob
ably about one-third OF the total gro
csries trade OF the United States, has
seemed to justify what by come may be
regarded as an expose, but what to
others will be merely common place
summary of facts. They have been long
known, to any ono who cared to in
quire, as constituting a system so flag
rant as long since to have been pilloried
and crushed, except for the all-pervad>
ing influence of the sugar trust, and ex,
tent to which the moral sense OF the
A Americsn people has been deadened by
he deadly mess OF horrors that protec.
lion has served up.
In the autumn of 1887, reorganiza.
ion wac commenced Of the whole bust
less Of sugar refining and sugar distris
,ution for the United States. For
several years the conservative business
of former times had been de-
noraized by the extent to which cheap
ming transportation and the utilization
II enormous capitals had turned what
lad been simple individual rivalry be-
wesn conservative men. willing to do
aie business upon small capital, into
vl -itable Battle of the Giants" the