The Opelousas courier., 1894-08-18
The Outlook For Sugar.
". O. Picay uue, Aug. Is.

N. Q. Picayuue, Aug. Is.
Now that the excitement attending
the events in the national House of
Representatives on Monday has some
what subsidized, it is possible to gauge
the situation with respect to the new
tariff bill more accurately. The bill,
having been accepted by both houses
OF Congress, is now in the hands of
the President, and, as it is certain
that there will be no veto, it will be-
come law and take effect at once. I'm
der the provisions of the bill there will
be an ad valorem duty on all sugars,
and on sugars above No. 16 Dutch
standard in color there will be an ad-
diti0nal duty of 1-Sc per pound, and a
still further duty of 1-10c is to be
levied upon sugars imported from
countries paying ar export bounty.
The protection implied in the sugar
schedule outlined above is all that the
Louisiana sugar producers can safely
count Oh, as the efforts to secure the
bounty on the growing crop do not,
from present appearances. promise to
gress to allow the bounty on the pres
ent crop after it had been practically
earned, and after licenses to produce
sugar this year had already been
issued; is a great piece of injustice; but
it is hardly within the probabilities
that Congress can be brought to recog-
nize the injustice of its act, at least at
the present session.
As far as the bill providing for alb
solutely free sugar, which passed the
House Monday, is concerned, while it
yet remains a danger to be feared, it
appears much less likely to pass the
Senate than seemed to be the case at
first. Although free sugar has a large
number of advocates in the Senate,
there are still some Senators who be-
lieve 10 a sugar tariff, and, with the
freedom of debate in the upper house,
the friends of sugar could delay the
passage of the free sugar bill for a long
time. Moreover, it is known that the
Senators are weary of the session, and
probable that a quorum could be main
tanned for any length of time.
Another reason why the free sugar
bill is not likely to pass the Senate is
the fact that the absence of the sugar
tax would deprive the Government of
SAC, 900 of revenue which is sore
1y needed. 1t is reported that Secre-
tary Carlisle pointed this fact out to
the Senators yesterday, and intimated
that the President would in all proba-
bility veto the bill should it pass the
Senate. With sugar once more firmly
placed among the articles producing
large revenues, it is likely that it will
be maintained indefinitely in the tariff,
as it is. admitted on all hands that it
is the best revenue-producing article in
the list.
While, therefore, our sugar planters
have just reason for feeling aggrieved
at the treatment they have received
from Congress, let them, nevertheless,
take courage. The sugar industry is
well worth making a desperate effort
to maintain, despite the adverse Iegisla-
ton of which it has been made the
The Louisiana Congressman will be
next November under the cleo
ton law recently passed by the Legis-
Iature. The new law does away with
returning officers, and three supervisors
each parish are to be appointed to
AXE charge of the elections. They ap-
point the commissioners, tabulate the
vote and make returns to the Secretary
If State. The three supervisors are ap-
as follows: One by the Cover
n by the police jury andsthe 9TH
II by the clerk of the court of each par
The supervisors will appoint six
commissioners at each polling place,
he different political parties to be re-
presented. At the next general election
n April, 1896, members of the police
ury will be elected by d direct vote Of
he people.