The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-03-23
THE SUGAR TAX.

| about the tax on sugar winch Une
senate committee placed there when
it overhauled the Wilson bill, and well
it may be. 1t says that the Republic
ans in opposing this feature of the
bill, will show their sagacity, but at
the same time steal the thunder that
ought to be Democratic thunder, and
continuing says:
1t will be one Of the anomalies of
politics to see Republicans. whose
chief god for nearly half a century has
been protection, arrayed against the
principle even as it concerns single
article: while Democrats, the cardinal
tenet of whose faith has ever been
absolute freedom of trade and COM
merce, are apolOgizing for and defend
ing such a tax.
The Globe is somewhat off here, as
the Republicans in opposing the re-
stOration of the sugar tariff will be
strictly following the policy of the
party since it's formatiOn-that of
levying the tariff so as to protect
| American labor from foreign COMPETE
tion in all articles which are manu-
featured or produced in this country.
Sugar has enjoyed protective tariff
for years, but has not expanded under
it, as was claimed it would by it's
friends. But when the Republicans
followed up their policy and put sugar
on the free list as they did tea and
coffee, the manufacture of beet sugar
was just beginning to assume a practi-
cal form, and it was argued by the
friends of sugar production that to
put it on the free list, was simply to
kill what might soon grow to be one of
our leading industries. Accordingly
as an inducement for it's further eX-
pansion, the sugar bounty was pro-
vided for. The results which followed
show the wisdom exercised by the
Republican leaders. But the Globe
proceeds in an interesting manner. 1t
says:
In opposing the tax on sugar the
Republicans will strike popular
chord Such a tax is brought home to
every citizen. 1t interests his wife,
and whatever woman is interested
in she talks about. And this is a case
where talk counts. When woman
complains of the high price of an arti-
Gle OF daily necessity she never permits
it to be forgotten, and no man is SO
Indifferent to his wife'S words as to
fail, sooner or later, to listen and re-
fleet upon them. And this reflection
will be in this wise: THE Republican
party, the party of protection, gave
me free breakfast table, but made
me pay dollar year for the priyi-
lege. Now the Democratic party, the
party opposed to protection, proposes
to tax me still more for the benefit of
the sugar planters of Louisiana
There is something wrong here. |
will investigate" And he investi-
gates. The more he looks into the
matter the more inconsistent does the
policy of the Democratic party appear,
and the more cOmmendable does the
attitude of the Republicans SEEM
The Republican policy taxed him, it
is true: but the Democratic policy
taxes him still more heavily. He in
evitably reaches the conclusion that
the Democracy is false to it's pledges
and professions, and resolves to have
nothing more to dO with it. A reform
party that does not reform when it
has the opportunity can inspire no
confidence among the masses of the
people.
Nothing can be more plain nor prac-
tical than the reasoning which the
Globe puts into the heads of the peo-
pie. In practical every day life the
wage Garner will 60 still farther, how
ever, for he will find that while the
Democrats make him pay more for his
sugar, they cut down his earning capa-
city and make it doubly hard for him
to secure the necesSaries of life. In
closing the Globe says:
If the Republicans carry out their
avowed intention of opposing this tax,
they will display political wisdom, if
not honesty. The sugar tax was never
popular, except in the cane-growing
states. While it is no more burden
some than many other taxes, it is
more constantly before the people.
Every time man visits his grocer he
thinks of it; every time a women
Sweetens her cup of tea she talks
about it. 1t is ever present in the
public view because it affects every
individual in the land. The oppo-
nents of the tax will coin votes for
their party by the tens of thousands.
1t is burdensome, because there is
not yet the home competition strong
enough to have an influence on foreign
prices, as is the case in other lines up
on which the Republicans have placed
protective tariff.