The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-07
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING.
The "Bnl of Sale" Confirmed.
Boston journal

|
| Having sold themselves body and soul to
the Sugar Trust, the Democratic members of
the United states Senate on Tuesday pro-
ceeded 10 deliver the goods. They voted
repeatedly and unanimously. with the single
exception of much-derided Senator Hill
| VINO, Wren the test comes, yesms 70 De II
mirror of integrity beside his Democratic COL
leagues--to confirm the terms OF the Infamous
bargain which was lately the subject of official
| investigation Neither shame nor fear was
sufficient to deter the Democratic majority
from carrying out to the utmost its contract
of corruption.
From the genuine free trade standpoint
that part of the sugar schedule of the Cor
man bill which removes raw sugar from the
free list where the Mckinley tariff placed it
and again makes il dutable. is entirely logi-
cal and commendable. sugar is an article
which is not and cannot be produced in the
United States in sufficiently large quantities
TO supply the domestic consumption. Ninety
three per cent OF our annual sugar
supply must necessarily be imported.
1t will readily be seen that sugar stands
under very different conditions from wool,
lumber and manufactured articles. of which
we can produce under reasonable protection
in this country approximately enough TO fiji
our domestic needs. We must inevitably i'm
port all or nearly all Of our sugar from for
eign countries, We can produce all or nearly
all our WOOL lumber and manufactured
goods in America IL is just here that the
issue comes between free trade and protec-
tion. Free trade holds that we should impose
dates on sug'r which cannot be raised at
d ONE and must be imported. and Idmit wool.
lumber and manufactures OF all kinds duty
free. Protection teaches that sugar should
go on the free list, while duties are imposed
on articles like wool. lumber and manufac-
lures for the double purpose of
raising revenue and encouraging
native industry. In other words. accord
ing To the free trade doctrine, every
foreign article which competes with the pro-
ducts of American labor should be imported
free of duty, VIII lie every forei IN article which
does not compete with the products OF Ameri.
can labor and has to be purchased abroad be-
cause it cannot be produced in this country.
should be taxed
- In strict accordance with this -iheorr of
course the duty on raw sugar is perfectly
defensible. and IL is well that the country
should understand it. The infamy OF the
sugar schedule lies in the fact that, in fiat
defiance of all free trade principles and pro-
fessions, IL gives the Sugar Trust a stiff pro-
tectivo duty on its finished product. and gives
IL under conditions which. In the words OF the
Democratic New York Herald. VIRTUALLY ten
ders a present of twenty. or perhaps thirty
million dollars" to this unscrupulous and
greedy combination. While IL is provided
that the German tariff on other
articles shall go into effect on July
!. at the beginning of the fiscal year. the duty
on sugar does not become operative until
Jan. ], 1895. This six months grace will
enable tho Sugar Trnst with It's enor-
nous resources TO bring In, duty free,
n years supply of the raw material for its
refineries. The new sugar duty. like all
free trade duties, always adds just so much
TO the price Of an article and is paid In full
by the consumer When the new duty docs
take effect, the price of sugar will immedi-
atey go up. and the trust eau take advantage
of IL after New Years to add the amount OF
the duty to the price of every pound of sugar
IL reflnes, though the raw material was i'm
ported free of duty. =
IL is this Immensely profitable privilege
whicn moved the Trust % buy up the Demo-
cratic Senators. They have consummated
tho bargain.
VIII the American people approve it7