The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-08-13
DETRIMENTAL FURTHER REDUCED IN
SENATE.

DIFFERENTIAL FURTHER REDUCED IN
SENATE.
When the Wilson bill came to the Senate
its deficiencies in revenue producing capacity
had become well known to its friends, and es.
pecally to the Secretary of the Treasury and
among the measures for increasing its yield Of
revenue tax of 30 per centum ad vaorem on
raw sugar readily agreed upon. But the
Wilson ditferentia on refined sugar was again
cut in half and fixed al I-S OF cent pound.
or just one-fourth of the rate OF the then exist
ing Mckinley law. Indeed such was the odium
manifested on the part of many 1Democratc
Senators against the Sugar Trust. that no diff.
ferential at all would have been allowed on the
refined article had it not been for the hrr,
stand taken by the two Louisiana Senators.
They demonstrated that through the use Of the
latest improved machinery over So per cent Of
the sugars sent TO market from the Louisiana
plantations were above 16 Dutch standard. and
therefore classed as refined sugars. They dill
not think that the duty of 20 per cent atfo,i eI
ufhcient protection to the Louisiana interests
II was certainly far less than the existing
bounty-and they insisted upon retaining a
diterential on refined Of at least I-S Of a cent
POSITION OF THE LOUISIANA SENATORS.
An inspection of the Congressional Directory
OF the sgd Congress will show the political
composition OF the Senate at that time to have
been a Democrats, 50 Republicans and pop.
T T making IS inall-there being vacancies.
Inc requests announced from the first their
purpose to defeat all tariff legislation if DOS.
sibe, hoping thereby to convict the Democrat
&c party OF incompetency. 1t therefore became
absolutely necessary that the Democrats should
present such bill as would command the SIM
port OF 43 OF their a Senator's Mr.. Hill. Of
New YORK, having announced his uncompro-
nlsing opposition to the bill on account OF the
income tax. 1t was absolutely necessary to re-
tam the support OF both OF the Louisiana Sen.
ators AS stated they insisted upon the reterl-
tlon OF the - OF cent diferential duty on
rehncd sugar Tor the benefit it conferred on the
Louisiana producers, and in Difference to them
Il was retained. The position assumed by the
Louisiana Senators upon this question is
speeches made by them in the Senate. While
the conference report on the Wilson bill was
pending in the Senate, Mr.. Villas moved to
strike out the I-S cent duty on refined sugar.
and upon this motion both of the Louisiana
Senators made strong speeches-which will be
found in the Congressional Record Vol Is,
pages 774I to 7747-from which the following
extracts are made:
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH OF SENATOR cArrERY
(oF LA.).
Mr.. Gallery. Mr.. President, l understand
the motion Of the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr
Ellas) to be an instruction to the Senate CON
ierees to drop the diiierential of one-eighth
upon renned sugar which has been adopted by
the votes OF the Senate During the course
OF the Senator S remarks | ventured to ask him
question, after a strong expression on his
part, and which he referred back to me for a
response. 1t Is absolutely useless for to
say that, representing my State and its chief
staple product, have no concern with or in.
terest in the Sugar Trust. | am here to advo-
cate far as | can the interest of my State in
this particular. The one-eighth being taken
off will strike deadly blow at that interest
Mr.. Palmer l should like to make a state
ment and ask the Senator from Louisiana a
question. have never been able to compre-
bend how the producers of sugar are inter
ested in retaining one-eighth for the rehners.
hope he will show how the producers are in
te! HNs c.a.-. ~, ,...
The producer Of cane in Louisiana is mostly
manufacturer of sugar. The Louisiana plant
er, by adopting the recent improved methods,
turns out sugar which goes into consumption
as refined sugar. 1t is centrifugal sugar, quite
equal to the German graduated sugar, which
is the great competing sugar that the trust has
to contend with
81 have constantly heard upon this floor the
declaration made that if the gentlemen framing
this bill had their way there would be no tax
upon sugar. 1t is about time to talk plainly,
and l propose to do now. l make no
threats, no ordinations: There is none of that
sort Of thing in me- When the test comes here
as to whether | will sit in my seat and see the
industry destroyed upon which the prosperity
of my State is founded, shall act promptly
and decidedly.
They we're born in me. What little study and
reflection | have been able to give to political
subjects have convinced me that the Demo
cratic theory of government is correct, and that
the Democratic theory of tariff for revenue is
correct. But when the alternative comes between
the State of my love and the party to which owe
my political allegiance, shall stand by my state.
here distinctly state that if the amendment
proposed by the Senator from Wisconsin is
adopted and if the promise of the Senate Fin
ance Committee to give modicum Of bounty
lid NTH he hill lNutll m
support or sanction.
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH OF SENATOR BLANcH-
ARD (OF LAD.
"Ah, Mr.. President, the scarecrow used by
the Senator from Wisconsin and by others to
duty is the Sugar Trust. Somebody is riding
the Sugar Trust as a hobby. Somebody is
seeking to make good deal OF capital out OF
its alleged connection with legislation relating
to the tariff. / speak plainly, Mr.. President.
but l speak without intention OF offence The
Sugar Trust-or the Sugar Refining Company,
more properly-no doubt has large interest in
the retention of this one-eighth duty, but SO
have the producers of the country 1t is TACT
that all the beet sugars made in the country
are refined sugars. 1t is further TACT that we
manufactured in Louisiana last year 6oo,ooo,ooo
pounds Of cane sugars of which "a per cent
were refined in the sense that they tested at
and above No. rs Dutch standard IN color
Now, these sugars enjoy the additional, pIolec-
entail duty just as the sugars refined by the
trust do. Therefore, the duty OF one-eghth IS
in the bill for the benefit OF the sugar pro-
ducers as much as it is for the trust 1t was
part of the stipulation of the caucus agreement.
II is wanted by the people for whom my voice
is raised to-day. 1t cannot be stricken out by
Democratic votes without violation OF the
caucus understanding.
"Mr. President, I am not here for the pur-
pose of making any threat, and ! do not wish
TO be understood as doing so; but / do say
that those of us who represent upon this floor
the sugar producers of the United States, de.
sire that our people be treated in good faith in
this tariff bill. Taking from the bounty i'm
perls the 4, votes which are needed to enact
the one-eighth duty still further imperils this
vote"
TIE LOWEST DUTY EVER LEVIED.
1t is thus shown that but for the firm stand
taken by the representatives OF the American
sugar producers no differential tax at all upon
refined sugar would have appeared in the Viii
son law as it passed the Senate. But the IS
of a cent levied by tina. law was the lowest diff
ferentiai ever levied on refined sugar in the