The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-01-20

and when there was very little if any
transportation facilities-produce
more of the necessaries of life and
send away less of the fruits of our
labor might not be amiss at the
present time.
THE SUGAR QUESTION:
Times-Democrat.
At the recent conference of sugar
planters held in this city It was re-
solved, inter ALA, that a committee
representing the sugar industry of
this State should go to Washington
and do what they could to enlighten
Congressman as to the ruin that
must inevitably be wrought to the
industry in the event of the Wilson
bill becoming law with the sugar
clause in it as originally drafted.
The committee will point out to
Congressman the absolute injustice
of the mutilated bounty proposal of
the Wilson bill. 1t will impress
upon Congressman the bad faith
that is intended to the sugar planters
in the proposed receding of the
government from the strict letter of
the fifteen years. bounty contract
imposed upon the sugar raisers
their will in 1890. 1t will show to
Congressman, by figures which can
neither be gainsaid nor disputed, that
sugar cannot be raised in this State
for less than from IL to cents
per pound; that, in fact, as we men,
toned several days ago, the average
cost of raising sugar in Louisiana
for the last six session has been
5.o27 cents per pound. 1t will point
out to Congressman that sugar equal
in quality to Louisiana sugar is sell
ling in New York at "a cents per
pound; and it will ask the simple
question of Congressman how it
could be possible for the sugar plan
tiers of this State, with sugar which
cost 4 1-2 cents per pound to raise
in Louisiana selling at "a cents
per pound, to continue the industry
with bounty or duty less than 2
cents per pound.
The committee will make it clear
to Congressman that the mutilated
bounty OPPOSITION of the Wilson
bill is not only glazing breach of
contract on the part of the govern
ment, but that it will mean inevita-
BILE and irretrievable ruin to the
sugar raisers of this State, we have
sunk their all, and have everything
they own in the world at stake, in
the industry. 1t will convince, or,
at least, it will do it's best to con-
vince, Congressman that nothing
short of the entire bounty contract
for the fifteen years, or in it's place
2 cents, per pound duty, will save
the sugar men from the ruin with
which the Wilson tariff bill threatens
them.
And if the committee fail to con-
vince Congressman to that effect, if |
it fail, in spite of its reasoning, to |
induce Congressman to alter the !
present proposition back into the |
original fifteen years. bounty con-
.ract, or to have a duty of 2 cents !
per pound, put in lieu of that orig |
nal bounty contract, then will there !
be nothing left for the committee to !
do but to use all the influence they |
are capable of, not only with the |
Louisiana delegation, both in House |
and Senate, but with Congressman
from other States as we'll, to vote |
against the bill to its defeat.
The Louisiana delegates to Con-
sress, both Representatives and Sen
ators, will be, of course, expected /
to act in harmony with the commit |
tee in this matter. The very life of |
the State is bound up with the sugar
industry, and the first and chiefest |
of Louisiana's Represen-
tatives in Congress is to Louisiana's !
people. The Representatives from
Louisiana must absolutely refuse, |
therefore, to caucus on the tariff |
dill with the sugar schedule in its
present condition, and they must
esolutely decline to be bound by
caucus rulings. Either the original
contract of the tariff bill of !
300 must.be reinserted in the Wilson
dill, or, failing that, a duty of
:ents pound, must be put on i'm
'orts of sugar. If neither of these
be accepted by the
Congress, then have Louisiana
and Senators but
me duty to perform in the premises