The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-08-12
SENATOR M'ENERY EXPLAINS
ALLEGED LOUISIANA DEMOCRAT
STATES HIS POSITION on THE
TARIFF BILL.
SAYS THE SOUTH NEEDS PROTECTION
To Build Up Her Mining and Manu-
facturing Industries-The Sugar
Schedule, He Says, VIII Tend
10 Restrict the Trust.

|
| New Orleans. Aug. 4.-rhe ChOctaw
| club and the democrats of this city ten
| dpred Senator McEncry reception at the
Grand opera house tonight under the
presidency of Hon. w. \. Keraghnn. tC
endorse his course in congress. The
principal feature of the evening was II
lengthy speech by Senator McEncry, cX-
planning his tariff position. He gave the
history of tariff agitation and showed
that no support of free trade had ever
been given by the democratic party OF
democratic leaders. the tariff for rev
enuc only in democratic platforms mean-
ing incidental protection.
The democrats who opposed the Ding
ley tariff bill in congress were mostly all
in favor Of protecting some local inter-
ests, and there were no other interests
besides local ones which hopclesSly Iii
yidcd the democratic members. The
very interests they desired to protect
would have been hopelessly injured by
the defeat of the bill, and he did not in
tend To take any chances. Nor was he
willing to ask for Louisiana what he
would not grant 10 other states. The
south is undergoing IN industrial rcyOlu-
ton, and the manufacturing. agricultural
and mining interests springlng up need
protection. Opposition To former tariffs
came because the south was exclusively
agricultural and depended on slave labor
II was sectional opposition. Slavery was
gone. the sections greatness must spring
from the addition Of mining and man
ufacturng wealth, and her younger
statesmen will understand them. he
willingly gave up hope and expectation
of future prcfcrment to follow line of
action which he thought would bring
prosperity to Louisiana. Senator Me
Emery concluded as follows:
Now, Il few words about the sugar
trust. II great and powerful corporation.
whose power ought To he curtailcd. and
whose influence in the politics of the
country should be lessened. This is an
admitted fact by both political parties.
At the same time both parties agreed
that it is better for this country 10 refine
the sugar that il consumes rather than
to send money abroad and pay the Ger
man sehners and laborers. The Qucs-
ton was as to what protection the re-
tinrrs should get. In the attempted So
luton of this question there was much
political juggiery and good deal of dem
agOgism for home political uses. The
rctinerS wanted to get all they could. In
their cndeavor they cared little abont the
cane and beet sugar producers They
wanted the lowest duty on raw sugars
coupled with an nd valorem duty--a COM
posite schcdulr-by which the low grades
of sugar could be fraudulently imported
in false colorations.
"Thc Wilson bill sugar schedule was.
il is well known. dictated by the sugar
trust. Out of this grew all the scan
dais which shocked the country. The
Dingley bill, as presented to the senate.
eliminated all trust influence and gave ii
schedule satisfactory to sugar producers.
but not In accordance with the demands
of tie siigar trust. The finance commit.
tee of the senate presented amendments
to the house bill. giving an ad valorem
duty and small specific duty. and 50
arranged that it was difficult to compre-
bend it. The impression prevailed that
the same INFLUENCES which dictated to II
democratic committee the schedule in the
Wilson bill successfully worked upon the
republican finance committee of the sen
ate The friends of the hill-all who
were opposed to the sugar Schcdule-Su-
gar importers. cane and beet sugar pro
duccrs. combined to defeat this schedule.
even if it resulted in the defeat of the
bill. The bill went to conference.
"The friends of the bill continued their
well-directed efforts to eliminate any adj
vantage to the sugar trust beyond that
which was reasonable and just.
'"rhc features of the house schedule
were maintained. An increased duty
was placed upon raw sugar. commencing
with ~ degrees at 95-1OO of Il cent. in
stead of | cent. and raising the duty on
each degree of raw sugar from 3-1OO to
9 1-2-10o.
when the one hundrcdth degree is
reached the duty will be 1.S2 lie. and
the duty on refined. LOS cents. The diff
fcrcntial ut this point is precisely the
same, II ID cents. in both house and
senate schedules. The revenue by this
arrangement is expected to he increased
50. 900. 900 on the sugar schedule. The
revenue will he increased and the pro-
duction of raw sugar encouraged.
"l'he calculations of the schedule re-
Quirc the talent and skill of experts. The
government expects those who have 10
figure out the schedules will estimate the
protection afforded the sugar trust at
from - to 30 per cent less than that af-
fordcd by tho Wilson bill
AN amendment was offered on the
democratic side of the chamber TO restore
the al valorcm rates of the Wilson bill
1t received the support of the opponents
of the bill and the sugar trusts. No bet
ter schedule could have been asked by
the trust 1t was the schedule which
it had dictated. and the one under which
il so rapidly progressed to power and in
fucncc. In Louisiana we turn out sugar
which directly goes into consumption.
Sugar beet factories turn out sugar re-
fined, which goes directly into consump-
ton. Under the protection offered by
this law the country will produce all the
smear il consumes and now imOOrtpd,
The success of the cane and beet sugar
industry. the production of all the sugar
we consume. will destroy the sugar trust.
In fighting the trust its enemies tried to
break down the sugar-producing ener-
gics of the country. This was the best
means possible for aiding the trust. be-
cause its interests would have been
greatly advanced by destroying the cane
sugar mills and the beet factories of the
country. 1t would be left without COM
petition"