The Opelousas courier., 1894-04-14
The Government Should Place a Duty
on Sugar.

When the great men who composed
the first Congress assembled, a question
Of paramount importance confronted
them, and that question was, How is
the money necessary to run the govern
emerged from a long and terrible war
which had left us the heritage of a
mountain of debt we needed money to
start the machinery of government and
the men who sat in that first Congress
proceeded to devise a system of raising
revenue for the maintenance of our
newly created government. Duties on
imports obviously afforded the readiest
resource Of revenue; and while the
question Of duties is one about which
the people have differed ever since the
foundation of the government, nearly
all agree that they are the best means
for providing ~revenue-tbe difference of
opinion being as to how great a duty on
the various articles should be assessed,
or as TO what articles should be dutiable.
Ever since this time sugar has been
recognized as a dutiable article. The
old tariff of 1888 placed a duty of from
2l5 to 81 cents per pound on sugar, ac-
eording TO its quality. The Mills bill
of 1888, a Democratic measure (Which,
however, never became a law, also pro-
vided for O duty on this article. Not
until 1890, when the Mckinley tariff was
enacted, was sugar virtually put upon
the free iist-but even then there was a
duty Of J cent per pound on sugar of a
high grade-and for tle prevention of
the entire destruction of this industry,
II bounty Of Q cents per pound was plac-
ed on all sugars. The new tariff law as
d it left the House proposes to leave this
article on the free list and to take away
the bounty too. Fortunately, however,
the Senate seems about decided to put u
small duty on sugar, which, while not
large enough to make the production of
it profitable, will at least make it posi-
ble for the sugar producer to continue
its cultivation.
small duty on sugar would afford
an enormous revenue, since the total
domestic production is equal to only
about IL per cent of the total domestic
consumption. In other words, while in
1893 the total production in the United
States was only 81,270,22S lbs, $780,
z45,347 lbs. were imported from other
countries. An average duty of tic. on
this would be nearly $500 900 reve-
nue., and the tax amounts to only about
IS cents per capita. When compared to
other articles upon which a duty is plac-
ed-wOol, for instance-the per capita is
very small, the tax on that import being
over $6 per capita, and yet only about
$20,OOO,OOO is paid into the treasury by 1t
only One-third the revebde-and vet
the people are taxed seven times as
much. Thus sugar is essentially a du-
table article, affording immense reve-
u with the smallest possible cost to
the people.
But aside from its revenue feature, let
us approach the question from another
point of view, viz, the effect free sugar
would have on other classes of the com-
munity, and also how it would operate
outside OF the sugar producing sections
on the rest OF the country. 1t is impos-
sible to dwell too strongly on these
points, foIJthe people generally do not
appear to fully appreciate the fact that
sugar stands in an entirely different po-
sitiOn to other industries that would be
injured by the Wilson bill. These will
of coursebe affected, but the sugar in
dustry will be absolutely ruined. 1t is
impossible to reduce our standard of la
Dor to the same basis as that of Cuba,
from whence we import nearly half OF
our sugar. There they have a system OF
very cheap labor which can be likened
to slave labor, since the Chinese coolies
5000 in number-which have been
paid than slaves. There a be no com.
petition with such labor as this.
Under the pledge and promise of the
bounty, which it is proposed to do away
with now, an immense amount of money
has beer invested in the sugar industry
in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Cali
fOrnia, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah
, and other States and Territories. Of the
gross receipts of this crop, fully three
fOurths are spent in machinery, horses,
mules, supplies, &c, in other States. In
Louisiana, where the greatest sugar in
terests are, legislation against sugar
would not only destroy the industry,
but would cripple a large number of
pletely running that State. The sugar
crop of Louisiana brings into that State
nearly $35,OOO 900 annually, fully $780,
100000 OF that amount being spent 10
nearly every section of the country for
machinery, supplies, &c. By placing a
small duty on sugar $780, OO, 900 Of reye-
nue. will be derived by the government,
nearly a million people will be given
employment, and an internal commerce
OF $7O,O0O.O00 annually - commerce
which affects nearly every State iu the
UnIOn-wlll be the result.
But while Louisiana has the largest
sugar interests now, there is no telling
how great it will become in those States
where it is now cultivated. The beet
sugar industry of the West is growing
rapidly. 1t has gone from GOO, 900 TBS. in
1887 to nearly 100000 TBS. in 1898. In
Californla the increase between the
years 1899 and 1898 is remarka-
BILE: In 1892 it was a little over 8
million lbs; in 1893 it jumped to nearly
~ million pounds. The possibilities Of
9 sugar production can not now be
estimated. AS to cane sugar, the pro-
ductlon has increased from 1854 million
pounds 10 1892 to 584 million pounds in
1874. with reasonably fair legislation
the crop will continue to increase until
tnls country can produce all the sugar
We consume: Open our ports to the
markets OF the world now, and these
growing industries will be ruined, an
immense internal commerce destroyed,
and the public treasury deprived Of an
en0rmou sum-: Half the people of q
great State will have no employment.
not TO mention another great number Of
people who would have to seek for other
Work IN the several States where cane
or beets are cultivated, and the costly
machinery used for making sugar wifi
have to be abandoned.
It has been cOntended that if a dntv
10 placed upon sugar, and the recinro-
city treaties existing under the McKin.
ley tariff abrogated, it filings aWayu
more advantages to American mannfac.
turers, farmers and merchants than the
destruction of the sugar industry would.
The sugar growers Of Louisiana alone
bought last year from New York. Penn
~eVIVAnia. OhiO- Mansachucaff Tnl;a..