St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-06
A SHAMELESS SURRENDER.

ne democratic senate has SurreI-
dered TO the sugar trust. and offers as
its justification that the terms of capittl-
lation will let the trust rob the people of
this country only half as much as the
Republican act of 80 gave it leave and
power to do.
Had the senate Democrats put
specific duty of a cent pound. or of 40
per cent ad va.orem on all sugars i'm
ported, raw or refined, as 4 revenue
duty, excuse might be found for it, pos
sibiy Justification for it; but when they
added to the 40 per cent on raw sugar
an additional eighth of cent OH sugar
above No. 16, they simply, knowingly,
Intentionally gave the trust authority TO
exact that sum on every pound con-
sumed in this country. They handed
over to the rapacious trust a monopoly
of the sugar market of the nation.
There is no use in blinking matters.
There is no excuse for it. That the
steal is only half that allowed by the
Republicans is not excuse. put condem-
nation. The Republicans did what they
exist for; they were true to the princi-
pie of their party; they were protecting
and fostering all industry at the cost of
all; but these men are false to their
party. false to its principle, recreant to
a sacred trust.
Senators need not vince when such
conduct brings gossip of bribery in its
train. There is too much readiness of
suspicion among the people of corrupt
motives for public action when there is
DO reasonable ground for it; but when
great money interests are at stake;
wien there are millions of dollars de.
pending OH legislation. and then when
men defy the mandate of their party
and do what the party has expressly
commanded them not to do, and vote for
measures in the direct and sole interest
of such creations as the sugar trust, they
cannot complain if it is believed by men
not prone to unjust suspicion that the
money of the briber has touched their
palms.
We say that this gratuity to the trust
has absolutely no excuse. Ii is not
needed to compensate it for any greater
labor cost in refining than its foreign
com petitors have to meet, nor is it a
source of revenue. This is shown by
the fact that for years there have been
no imports of refined sugar to any ex-
tent that would be appreciable on
prices. On the other hand. the trust
has been steady and large exporter of
sugars to the supervising countries of
the world. Not this only. but the labor
cost of refining here is less than in any
ny,f hn ri lrn re- tn, -NE,
sugar per hundred pounds. 43 cents in
Germany, 3S cents in France, "a cents
in England, % cents in Cuba and IA
cents in the United States.
The labor cost, by reason of the i'm
provements in machinery and methods,
is lower now than when Theodore
Havemeyer testified before the house
ways and means committee, and, in re-
ply to the question of Mr.. Tucker as to
whether he could compete with Eng
land if sugar were free, replied that
1--WE could beat them. We can refine
sugar here cheaper than they can in
England" How profitable Republican
protection has been to this octopus may
be understood when the fact is stated
that the value of the plants is less than
s9,000,00O. and they are stocked for S75,-
100000. On this capitalization they
have paid large dividends. and recently
declared a quarterly dividend Of per
cent on the common stock, and, in addi-
ton. dividend of 10 per cent on the
common stock from the surplus earn
ings of 1891 and 1892. The preferred
| stock, on which per cent is guaran-
| teed. got quarterly dividend of ~ per
cent, and the statement was authorized
that after paying these dividends the
trust has S5.OO0,0OO surplus in its treas
uIy.
| 1t is this that makes every Democrat
who is not one for revenue only, but
who is earnestly, honestly and intelli-
| gently Democrat, sick at heart. 1t is
this that adds to the other conditions
which make some men despair of the
| republic and hopeless of its perpetuity.
1t is this which is making thoughtful
men in all parties ask themselves if a
policy which brings in such corrupting
| influences, which is able to dominate
one party to its will and thwart the
purposes of another. is policy to be