The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-12-21
THE CHINESE SUGARS
Large Quantities Surreptiti-
ously Sold on the Coast.
1T Is BILLED AS MERCHANDISE
But Few People Are ware o the Dan
ger That L. Threatened From
This Unclean Article.

ger That Is Threatened From
This Unclean Article.
Tacoma, Oct. 21.-The curiosity of
the unwary reader is not aroused when
he sees among other items of cargo re-
ported by the agents of the Asiatic
steamers "s, 600 pkg's merchandise. "
There is tea, silk, spices and 5000
pkg's merchandise.
Aren't tea and silk merchandise"
Yes; and there is nothing TO be con-
cealed in their importation, but with
sugar it is different. Secrecy is the
watchword The public must not
know that Chinese sugar is being
dumped upon them. Why? Because
the public don't want it.
The steamer Strathnevis, which ar
rived in Tacoma October s, brought in
her cargo 5000 pkg's merchandise,
or $50, 900 pounds of Chinese sugar,
and importations of this same secret
merchandise" since July into Ore
gon and Washington have amounted TO
4S,340 bags, or nearly 100000
pounds, valued at nearly quarter OF
a million dollars.
Where has it all gone? How many
people know they are buying sugar
from the plague ridden Orient, with its
poorly paid and poorly fed labor: The
same secrecy exercised by the importer
is exercised by the grocer and every
one who handles it, and the public be-
comes large consumer of an article
that it knows nothing of and would
not buy if it knew what it was getting.
And yet there has been secretly i'm
ported in the last three months six
pounds of this sugar for every man,
woman and child in Washington and
Oregon.
Why does the grocer handle it? Not
a single wholesale grocer of any stand
ing in the Northwest does, but some OF
the retail grocers in their anxiety to
buy cheaper than their neighbors have
let their avarice get the best of their
patriotism and good sense They buy
it because it is cheaper and they can
make two or three cents more on dol
lars worth. Do these grocers sell this
sugar cheaper? Did you ever see il
your grocer's store two bags, one mark
ed American Sugar" and the Other
"Chinese Sugar." No. They buy il
at an insignificant difference in cos
and sell this merchandise as "sug
arr at the same price as American sug
ar. For a little extra profit they sci
the public an article that they do no
dare call by name.
Secrecy is the watchword. The pub
10, nd uaf
if they know what it is. Therefor
they must not know what it is.
There are few people who will bu.
sugar from plague and vermin riddel
China when they get better articl
at practically the same price made a
home, and it is because the publ
don't want this product of cOolie labo
that it is handled in the dark and sol
in the dark, concealed by the importe
and concealed by the tradesman
There is probably not one reader @
this article who has not purchased Chi
nese sugar thinking that he was get
ting a clean American product mad
by American labor. Who reaps tn
benefit of the deception?
A few honest grocers here and Their
display cards: 1--WE handle America
Sugar Only" Many grocers sell CHI
nese sugar thinking that they are dom
nothing wrong, that it is all right s
long as the customer does not ask whs
he is getting o. specify American sul
ar. If the customer asks they tell hin
it is Chinese sugar, with a very fe'
exceptions.
Nevertheless, it remains fact tn,
this immense quantity of sugar
dumped in here and sold and no OF
ever sees or hears of it.
The American people are protection
lists in theory and in fact and are m
so inconsistent as TO frame laws
shut ont the products of pauper labo
and they turn around and buy, at pra
ticaliy no difference in price, an evei
day staple food product from the mo
poorly paid, the most degraded, Il
most filthy labor on the face of Il
earth.
Hardly a freetrader would be so u
American as to patronize such produC
although he does not believe in keepii
them out by law, and he can well poi
ms uuScf VI scpin 10 any ouc pIolc'
ing to believe in protection to Amel
can industries who brings TO his ov
house and family sugar from China.
Suppose the grocer gave his custol
ers the benefit of the lower price a
gave them one more pound of Chine
sugar than of American sugar for O
dollar, few families would save oy
thirty cents year. 1t is ridiculo
and no one will listen to it. Her
the secrecy. Hence the merchandise
This is why no grocer will ask y
what you will have, American or @
nese sugar.
Let every American stand for Am
lean goods. Find out what you 1
getting. At least pay for what y
get and get what you pay for. This