The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-19
LEADING EDITORIALS.
From the New York journal.

THE TRUST TAKING PROFITS. -Ths
sugar trust yesterday announced an In
crease Of lie Of cent pound In the
price Of three grades Of refined sugar.
That is trifle, but 1t represents about
81, 100000 on the years consumption Of the
country. 1t represents an increase OF near
ly nhllion dollars In the value OF the
100000 tons OF raw sugar which the trust
imported under tho old duties without
any further advance II would Justify an
increase OF about per cent In the years
dividends on the common stock OF the
American Sugar Rcfineries company.
OF course this Is only small part OF the
total gain the trust Will derive from the
new tariff. Mr.. Havemeyer prefers to
raise his prices shade at a time, rather
than to startle the public by too high a
lump all at once. The price began to go
up even before the tariff had finally gone
into eefct, and Ut has certainly not nm
ished going up yet. But 1t is strange that
yesterdays increase. small as II was In It
self, did not have more effect on the stock
market. One would have thought that an
opportunity to add per cent to the years
dividends would add something to the
value OF the shares. II can hardly be that
Wall street assumed that this money would
not go 10 he stockholders. Where else
could II go, unless there happened to be
some outstanding bills IN connection with
the arrangement OF the sugar schedule In
the senate?
From the Louisville Dispatch.
THANKING GOD FOR A FAMINE
The Columbus. Ohio, Evening Dispatch ex-
presses the sentiments OF the goldbugs in
regard to the increase In the price OF
wheat. The Dispatch says
Mr.. Chapman. by the way, says that the
rise In the price of farm products is "mere-
ly an accident" because the failure OF
crops abroad is an accident Surprising this
TO be true, most people will say 'rhank
God for such accidents, and may He send
more of them"
Such an expression as this does not In
dictate that the standard of our Christian
civilization Is the highest. When man
or a set OF men love gold so much that
they Will thank God for sending a famine
upon another nation in order to Increase
the price OF their own products 1t shows
u very low order OF Christian civilization.
That Is exactly what this newspaper Is do
ing. and 1t expresses the. sentiments OF a
very large number OF those who thank God
for anything that puts money In their
pockets or sustains their political conten-
lions. What sort of Christian civilization
Is It that thanks God for drying up the
streams. burning up the grass, and bring
iug starvation to eight millions of human
beings who have persisted In India in the
last two years? Some OF these same peo-
PIE who thank God for the calamtles Wis
tied upon other nations in order that this
nation may profit by 1t meet in the
churches on Sundays and contribute money
to send missionaries to these same starv-
ing people over whose misfortunes they
rejoice. They are not the Christians OF
the churches, but they are the ravening
wolves whose blood sucking propensitles
are freely INDUCED during the week aud
only restrained on Sundays when they
wear sleeps clothing. This Is the lofty
Humanitarian policy upon which some OF
the people of this country hope to justify
the establishment OF the gold standard.
They should remember that in the dispen-
sation OF Providence these conditions
might be reversed, and famine might be
visited upon this country in answer to
their thanksgiving. Such arguments os are
deduced from the unfortunate state of af-
fairs In India may serve to bolster such
bad cause for the time being but mo-
ment's reflection would convince any one
that there is nothing in the present sltua-
tion, when 1t Is analysed to support the
Justice and expediency OF the gold stand
ard Wheat Is higher In pSa, because the
crops are short in other countries and be-
cause OF the famine in India and silver
Is low In price on account Of the discon-
hnuance OF its use as standard money.
The law stops the coinage Of silver and It
Is the right to coinage that gives II its
chief value. II the law should stop the
consumption OF wheat for human food
wheat would be of very little value.