Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-03-26
PROTECTION At HIGH COST.

|
The two Louisiana votes in the SEN
ate for the tariff are costly. In order
to secure them the democratic log
rollers have inserted in the measure
a specific declaration repeating the
twenty reciprocity agreements nego-
tiated under the Mckinley act The
Louisiana senators have compelled
the democratic members of the FL
nance Committee to reverse their ac-
ton within fortnight. The commit
tee began by abrogating the Hawaiian
convention and saving all the other
reciprocity agreements. 1t ends by
saving the Hawaiian convention and
killing off all the other agreements.
1t is surrender dictated by the Lou
isiana senators under threat of throw
ing their votes against the amended
Wilson bill. The sugar Of Hawaii and
Louisiana will be protected:. All the
imported sugar supply except IL per
cent will be dutiable, and all the ad-
vantages to exporters and farmers
agreements will be flung away.
The democratic party has had
great deal to say about the iniquity of
sectional legislation" by which 'sthe
many were taxed for the benefit Of
the few" Let us see how they have
carried out their idea. For the sake
of protecting the Louisiana cane plant
ers they are imposing duties on 9215
per cent of the imported sugar sup
ply, which aggregated in 1898, 3,337,-
04O, 266 pounds, valued at S114, 1855, ,O96.
That is to say, the largest article of
imported food is to be taxed, and a
direct burden imposed upon the mil
lions Of American consumers for the
sole benefit Of the Louisiana and Haw-
allan planters. This is protection in
its most extreme form, since Louisi-
ana and Hawaii under the highest
conditions Of development can never
supply more than small fraction of
the sugar required for consumpt ption |
in the United States. Louisiana and |
the sugar trust will have the benefit |
of this abnormal and unnatural pro-
lection. The consumers will pay the |
benefit of the few.
Nor is that all. Twenty reciprocity
agreements will be abandoned for the
sake Of protecting the Louisiana
planters. Under these agreements
American pork, farm produce, ma
chinery and manufactures have been
entering Germany, the West Indies.
Brazil and Central America on a fa-
vored basis. An impulse has been
impaired to the export trade which
has been highly beneficial to the pro-
ductive interests Of the United States.
ALI the advantages of less restricted
between the United States
and the sugar and coffee countries Of
Europe and tropical America are to
be abandoned. A splendid opportun-
ity for enlarging the export trade is
to be renounced. The agricultural
interests of Germany, which are men
aced by the new reciprocity treaty
with Russia, are to be compensated
by increased protection against
American pork and grain. Spain is
to regain control Of the markets of
Cuba. English manufactures are to
be lightly taxed in the British West
indies, while American food products
ire heavily taxed there The British
is not to be molested in
Brazil. All the gains made for Amer
can trade under the reciprocity poll
~ are to be squandered.
Why are these stuPendous acts of
oily to be committed? For naught
save the protection of Louisiana
planters, whose two representatives
n the senate refuse to vote for the
Wilson bill unless all the reciprocity
are abrogated. Was
here ever SO rank a bit of sectional Z
gislation?-Iribune.