Evening star., 1895-05-25
BUSINESS INTERESTS
They Will Play Important Parts in
the Silver Fight.
TEE MERCHANTS AND THE PLANTERS
The Latter Remember the Sugar
Bounty Question.
WILL RECIPROCATE NOW

People who make estimates on the rela-
tive strength of the free silver and gold
standard men are apt to leave out Of their
calculations most important factors. The
business relations existing between the
west and east and the south and east are
apt to play important parts in deciding the
contest, as they have in many instances in
the past.
The Interdlepcndent interests.
The interdependepce of business enterpris-
es in various parts of the country is hardly
understood beyond the firms that are in
volved. While great business houses of
New York, Philadelphia and Boston depend
upon trade that comes to them from the
south and west, yet the merchants of the
latter sections are no less dependent for
credit on these same New York correspond
ents. In many instances these close busl-
ness relations have decided great political
questions. They played important parts IN
maintaining peace between the north and
south before the civil war. While aboli-
tionists in the north were working up pub
lie opinion, and while in the south there
was an undercurrent of revolt against what
was believed to be unwarranted interfer-
ence, merchants of the two sections were
corresponding in the most friendly manner
and were doing all they could to delay and
ward off the great conflict that was to
come.
The Sugar Bounty Fight.
The fact that this mercantile interest
was not sufficient to eventually prevent the
war does not belittle its very potent in
f1uence. Doubtless it did delay the civil
conflict. This same force has been exerted
between the various sections of the coun-
try on many of the most trying questions
that have been agitated by politicians.
During the last Congress this force was
shown in the fight that was made by the
Louisiana sugar planters, and $3W0,Hn
We're voted to these planters as a bounty
on their sugar crop for 1894, when very
large majority of the members of the
House of Representatives and of the Sem
ate firmly believed that there was no more
warrant for such action than there would
have been for voting S5.OOO,U00 to the wheat
growers of the country to reimburse them
for the decline in the price of that product.
The same argument would have held with
enual force in the case of every ether pro-
duct both agricultural and manufacturing.
in the country that had suffered a material
decline in price through legislative acts.
At least. this was the declaration of many
a member and Senator who, on the final
passage of the sugar bounty bill, voted in
the. affirmative.
How It's Passage Was Effected.
The passage of this remarkable sugar
bounty bill was secured by the influence of
the friendly relations established between
the sugar growers of Louisiana and the
merchants in other parts of the country,
with whom they We're in daily correspond
ence. The sugar planters were indebted to
manufacturers of machinery in both the
west and the east. The planters in possess
sion of this machinery were on the verge
OF bankruptcy, and the manufacturers were
told that If they wanted to received prompt
payment of the money due them they could
only hope to do so by helping to secure the
passage of the bounty bill.
The manufacturers, in turn, in many in
stances, were in straitened circumstances,
and other interests were wrapped up in
their ability to raise money. The result of
this kind OF campaign work was that vast
commercial interests in the west and north
took up the cause of the sugar planters.
Memorials were sent to Congressman, and
in some instances public meetings We're
held. The men who engineered the sugar
bounty bill were quite ready after they had
won their fight to acknowledge that the
victory hung on the aid rendered by these
commercial interests in the east and west.
Planters VIII Help Defeat silver.
The people who helped the sugar planters
will not be slow to ask assistance in re-
turn If they need the aid of these planters
in defeating the free silver movement.
Through these methods thousands of SEN
stive lines of communication connect the
interests of the east and west and of the
east and south. These are the influences
that make the least noise in determining
results. While a public meeting may be
stirred to foment by a hot speech of a
politician and the resolutions there adopted
may be spread from one end of the country
to the other through the press, the work
that is carried on between the commercial
interests is not heralded, but goes on in
silence.
Amid the clamor of free silverites, the
silent and potent influence exerted by the
commercial interests of the country should
not be overlooked by all those who would
form correct estimate of the sentiment of
the country as 1t will appear by the time
the next national conventions are held.