Middletown transcript., 1894-05-19
THE SUGAR TRUST SCANDAL

we ClIp all chtinSe A'o
delphja Press in connection with the
alleged deal with the sugar trust and
begin at the point where Secretary
Carlisle is said to have appeared before
several members Of the Finance Com
mittee into whose hands had passed the
tariff bill, and spoke to the gentlemen
present upon the duty which the Dem-
ocrat party owed the sugar trust:
"Gentlemen, there is one thing that |
am bound to say toyou as earnestly and
impressivsly as l can do it, and ! speak
to yon as a Democrat 10 Democrats.
No party or the representatives of no
party can afford to ignore honorable
obligations. ! want to say to you that
there seems to be danger that this is
going to he done. Gentlemen associa-
ted with the sugar refining interests Il
may tell you what perhaps you do not
know subscribed to the campaign fund
of the Democratic party in 1892 very
large sum of money. They contributed
several hundred thousand dollars and
at time when money was urgently
needed. l tell you that it would be
wrong, it would be infamous, after hay
ing accepted that important contribu-
tion, given at time when it was i'm
peratively needed, for the Democratic
party now to turn around and strike
down the men who gave it. 1t must
not be done. trust that yon will pre-
pare an amendment to the bill which
will be reasonable and in some measure
satisfactory to these interests.
That in sub,tance was the plea of
Secretary Carlisle to the members Of
the Finance Committee that they re-
spect the obligations entered into by
the national campaign committee and
the personal representatives Of Mr..
Cleveland in 1892. 1t was plea pow
erful put. Mr.. Carlisle said but little
more: he had said enough. He turned
ard left the committee, going away
with that secrecy with which he came
but before he did.so he signifed his will
lingress himself to prepare an amend
ment which he thought would be fair
to the government and yet be just to
the sugar interests.
That very thing he did, not long af
ter. The chairman of the Finance
Committee received and showed TO
certain favored friends the draft of an
amendment in Secretary Carlisle's own
handwriting to the sugar schedule, and
that draft is in Mr.. Voorhees, poses
sion 10 this day, unless he has de-
stroyed it. Secretary Carlisle has
scratched out from the printed schedule
the provisions as originally made by
interliueation and inserted the follow
ing words: "On all sugars not above
No. Is Dutch standard and on all''-
after the word 'all'' the printed form
remained in which mention was made
of other sugars, and then this interim
cation, "Instead of one eighth Of l pei
cent. 45 per cent, ad valoren."
There is also upon the blank space at
the bottom of the printed sheet in Mr..
Ca1lisle's handwriting clause PRO
yiding that nothing contained ID the
bill shall be construed as affecting the
the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty. So
the administration is on record as fay-
oring even higher rate of protection
than was afforded by the 50 called Cor
man bill. This speech Of Secretary
Carlisles is sufficient proof of state
ments made earlier in this article that
the Sugar Trust contributed half q
million dollars to the Democratic cam
paign fund, receiving in return a
pledge that no measure should be al
lowed to pass Congress which endan-
gered the sugar interests.
There is une other feature
Of this matter which We h,ar much
discussed in New YoIk, and that Is the
real disposition Of the sugar trust pep
PIE toward this bill and their opinions
regarding the likelihood of its passage.
The disposition may be explained in a
few words. If the bill can be passed
with the proviso that the sugar schedule
is not 10 go into effect till next January
then the sugar peuple are intensely in
terested in its passage. II that proviso
should be omitted the trust does not
care greatly whether the bill lie defeated
or not. With the January proviso in
a very careful estimate has been made
of the profits which will accrue to the
trust, eysry penny of which will come
out ot the people, ard will represent a
diversion of revenue from the United
States Treasury to that Of the sugar
trust.
Careful computations have been made
here as to the value of the colossal prize
which lies in this January iroviso.
Making an estimate npon importations
of sugar for the last year from foreign
countries and upon that figuring, the
revenue that would be received by the
government at the proposed rate upon
raw sugar, and adding to it the profits
which the sugar refiuers would make
upon the manufactured Article, the es-
innate is that this January proYiso
would mean the enormous profit Of Sc
millions of dollars to the sugar trust.
OF that amount at least 10 per cent.
ought to go to the government. because
the sugar people controlling this i'm
portatior aud getting it free Of duty
would nevertheless place upon the re-
fined sUUAr made from that hold in