Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-16
Government Dishonesty.

In no instance has the dishonesty
of the present administration been
more barefaced than in It's dealings
with our sugar producers. When
the Mckinley Tariff was passed in
1890 the Louisiana crop of that year
was 10000 tons. Under the pro-
lection then offered by Congress the
sugar output Of that one state al
most doubled, increasing TO $4,000
tons for the 1894 crop, which was
cultivated, grown and harvested on
the faith that the laws Of Congress
would be executed and that the
honesty of the American Govern
ment would not be impeached. 1t
is the same in the case of our beet
sugar product, which reached only
5000 tons III 1890 and $4,000 tons III
1894, the phenomenal advance being
made solely through the Govern
ment's promise Of protection.
The hardship experienced, more
particularly by the individual plant
ers and manufacturers Of Louisiana,
has at length forced upon them the
belief that the political party TO
which they have hitherto belonged
is as dishonest as it is incompetent.
First Of ali, the leaders of that party
in Congress endeavored TO repudlate
the payment of the just claims OF
the sugar growers ana producers. 1t
was due chiefly, however, 20 their
political opponents that Congress
insisted upon apprcpriating the sum
Of s. 100000 whcrewith 10 partially
meet their demands.
More than half q year has elapsed
since that money was appropriated.
1t has not yet been paid, and Oh
s,acle after obstacle has been pre-
scented by the Democratic officials to
prevent its payment. Every delay
and subterluge that could suggest
itself has been praticed SO as TO de
fraud the sugar producers, who have
overcome every opposition and sue
cessfully met every argument used
against them. For q year past
statesmen, fnanciers, lawyers and
treasury experts have discussed the
payment of this just claim, and all
nave failed in successfully opposing
it. Finally, the Democratic officials
in Washington were compelled 10
formulate regulations for It's settle
ment. All details for payment were
arranged and the date was an
nounced, September !, when the
money should be handed over.
Thus the hopes Of the sugar pro-
ducers were once more buoycd up.
1t seemed that the payment Of the
bounty was inevitable; that there
was no escape from il. But the con-
fding people of Louisiana did not
know the depth OF Democratic oili-
cial degradation. An entirely new
obstacle was suddenly set before
them, and itnow looks as if the
grandest period of prosperity that
was ever enjoyed by Louisiana will
terminate with the impoverlshment
of her people and check to her
progress that cannot be overcome
within a decade. Scores Of the
sugar planters OF that State have al.
ready been wrecked and ruined
others had tided over their troubles
by obtaining advances and extern
sions of credit, owing TO the promise
made by Congress that the bounty
should be paid them.
But now one official sets himself
up TO override the action of Con-
gress, and those sugar producers
who were being helped temporarily
10y banks and capitalists must, many
of them, succumb TO the ruin and
wreckage that had previously over.
whelmed their neighbors and friends.
Not only is it the sugar producers
of Louisiana who are injured, but
every other industry in the State is
directly affected by the prosperity
of the sugar people. The treachery
of the Free Trade party and of the
Free Trade officials, step by step,
throughout this entire transaction
with Louisiana will, and can, never
be sufficiently exposed.