The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-08-14
An Interesting Chapter of Tariff
Legislation.

Published by authority of the Maryland Demo-
cratic Editors Association.
An honest presentation from the public
records of the true history of the tax on
sugar, as contained in the several tariff
acts since the Sugar Trust has been factor
in American politics, cannot fail to be
timely and valuable information 10 the in
telligent voters of Maryland. The value
and importance of this information is en-
HANGED by the fact that there has been
great perversion of the truth upon this
subject by certain newspapers in Maryland.
This article will therefore be devoted to
that purpose.
ORIGIN OF THE SUGAR TRUST.
The Sugar Trust, like all the other
trusts, has come into existence since the
close of the civil war. Prior to the war
sugar refining developed This trust is
generally understood to haye owed its
origin and organization to the Mckinley
law of $780, and the large special privi-
lcOeS IL COHlGIIcu Ou
dustry, although it probably owed its con-
ception and partial organization to the large
diferential duties in favor of refined sugars
contained in the act of 1888, which was
displaced by the Mckinley law, The
Sugar Trust first became known as a COM
pleted and compacted organization after the
Mckinley law went into operation, but
there are abundant evidences that 1t had
attained sufficient cohesive force to take
care of its interests and have them thor
oughly protected by the trainers of that
law.
SUGAR TAX UNDER LAW OF 1883.
The tariff act of 1888 was made neces-
sary BY the redundant revenues that had
begun to pile up in the Treasury as result
Of continued war taxes, to which President
Arthur had directed public attention in his
annual messages 1t was promoted by the
report of Mr.. Arthur Tariff Commission,
although not much regard was paid to the
report in the makeup of the law. But 1t
was essentially a law TO reduce the revenues,
and it was strong manifestation Of the
sectional discrimination of the Republican
protectionists in the distribution Of their
protective benefits; for it has been shown
that nearly half Of the diminution effected
in the revenues came out OF raw cane
sugars, the exclusive product of the South.
Notwithstanding this heavy cut in the duty
upon raw sugar, the sugar refining inter
ests. which were then exclusively and are
still chiefly confined to the Northern States,
were carefully guarded and preserved, as
will appear by the following summary Of
the sugar schedule of that act
Raw sugar, not above 13 Dutch standard,
40-100 cents pound.
Refined sugar, from 13 to 1G Dutch
standard, ? 75-100 cents pound
Refined sugar, from l6 to 20 Dutch
standard, 3 cents a pound.
Refined sugar, above 20 Dutch standard,
, 50.100 cents pound.
With this discriminating schedule and its
large differential in favor of refined sugars, as
already suggested the American refining
interests began to combine to stihe compe-
tition inside the tariff walls, and thus was
the Sugar Trust, like the other numerous
trusts. Conceived in iniquity and born in
sin. Hence. when the Mckinley law
came to be enacted the Sugar Trust was
sufficiently of an ''infant industry, and
enough of a combination to see that its in
terests were thoroughly protected.
SUGAR TAX UNDER THE NJ KINLEY LAW.
The Mckinley law, like its predecessor
was predicated upon the necessity of re
ducing the revenue. Further pursuing
the policy of discriminating against the
South, it swept away entirely the duty
upon raw sugars, which were allowed to
come in free, but yielded to the stiff de-
mands of the Western beet sugar pro-
ducers, the trainers of the law afterwards
substituted bounty to be paid to Amerl-
can producers. But while the duty on
raw sugar was thus entirely swept away
and the American refners enabled to obtain
their raw material free, duty of $40 OF
cent pound was placed upon refined
sugar above 16 Dutch standard, thus Civ
inc the American refners clear benefit OF
IL cent pound. 1t was under the
special privileges conferred by this law, as
already stated. that the American Sugar
Refining Company, otherwise known as the
Sugar Trust, hecame a visible, tangible
corporation. and reaped its enormous pro-
fits.
SUGAR TAX UNDER THE WILSON LAW.
The Wilson bill, when presented to the
House by Mr.. Wilson, after several months
of careful consideration by the Ways and
Means Committee, of which he was the
chairman, retained raw sugar ON the free
list, continued the bounty to domestic pro
ducers for designated number of years,
and reduced the Mckinley duty on refined
sugar from = cent pound to l 4 cent
a pound In his report accompanying the
bill House Rept. No. 234, sd Cong.