Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-09

The Nature OF Suntlry Compromises.
What Democrats arc considering under
the name of compromise Is simply fraud.
They should see that the country will not
be deceived by devices so shallow. Begin
posed to save for the monopoly the fruit OF
Its infamous bargain by the mere substi-
tuition of 45 per cent ad valorem on both
raw and refined sugar for the dlffercntial
eighth of cent on the refined. Some
reckon that, counting all clements OF cost,
this will leave refiners q little larger adj
vantage than the protective eighth, and
others that it will leave little less. 1t is
safe to say that the trust knows. The diff
ference between 80 per cent on raw sugar
worth about . 1-2 cents and IS per cent on
refined sugar worth sic cents would be
about $50 of a cent per pound, which APP
pears TO be rather more than the advant-
age given by the 40 per cent and eighth Of
q cent additional in the senate bill as 1t
stands. But whether it is little more OF
little less substantially the same enorrn
Gus profit of millions will remain, which
the trust bought and for which 1t PAID.
1t would be simply compromising felony
to let the robbers go scot free with most of
their plumber on consonting to give up a
fraction of 1t.
1t is painful to observe that this seems
TO be the plan favored by some Of the presi-
dents nearest friends, and 1t Is much more
dishonorable, cowardly and offensive than
the frankly brutal plundcring Of the sen
ate bill Nor can anything good be said Of
the change proposed for the benefit of the
Nova Scotia coal syndicate. This is to i'm
pose duty on bituminous coal, but 10
make it inoperativaAas to any country
which does not exact n duty on imports of
coal from the United States. As the
Canadian government is to get royalty
on all the coal taken out by the Nova
Scotia coal syndicate, it may be expected
TO help its partners promptly by removing
the duties on anthracite coal from the
United States SO that the Nova Scotia coal
may come into this country free of duty.
BY trick so shallow as this Democratic
leaders apparently expect to befool Demo
cratic voters. The duty fixed by the SEN
ate bill-40 cents per ton instead of the IS
cents now exacted-would be free gift Of
500. 900 or more to the syndicate, and the
proposed fraud would only increase eae
Gift indefinitely, at the expense of Ameri-
can coal miners.
There is no principle involved in the
proposed compromise ON iron ore. The
senate has proposed large bounty to sun
dry corporations which own and are work.
ing mines in Cuba. The compromise
would give them q shade larger bounty,
while the president demands that they
shall have larger bounty still. Imports
have been about 1000 tons, but with the
duty reduced to 40 cents per ton, it Is
openly boosted that over l ,000000 tons
viii be imported On that quantity a.
difference in duty would be $4,000, vir-
,ually taken from American miners and
given to few capitalists and their hands
ii Cuba The president wants to give tho
monopoly the whole duty; to take the
$3.50. 600 from American miners for his
friends of the two syndicates The com.
promise world make the duty 35
ccnts-giving up 40 ccnts-or about
100000 If the miners here cannot get
employment because their ore is under
sold by that of the Cuban syndicates, they
lose the money just as truly as if it had
been distracted from their pockets ard
turned over to Juragua and Sigua capital
lists.
These are samples of the compromise"
by which it is hoped to attain Democratic
agreement and the passage of a bill to
prostrate American industries. 1t seems,
moreover, that such dishonest pretences of
concord are tried because it has been found
| that no honorable or honest agreement is
possibie.-[New York Tribune.