The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-07-30
BEET SUGAR BOUNTY
MASTER OF NATIONAL GRANGE
DEFINES HIS, VIEWS.


Democratic Hostility to the Proposition
encouragement Should Be Given
Such Enterprises-Our Import Of
Sugar Entirely Unnecessary.
e. F. PARSONS, Special Correspondent.
Washington, D. C--The fact that
the Republicans were compelled by
Democratic threats of filibustering to
their proposed bounty of a
quarter of cent pound on all beet
sugar produced in the United States
during the next five years is greatly re-
gretted by those who have studied the
possibilities of beet sugar production in
the United States, and especially by
officials of the department of agricul-
ture, who have been examining care
fully into this question and are con-
vinced of the entire practicability of
the production Of beet sugar in large
quantities if proper encouragement
could be given the enterprise.
''What ! do not understand, said
Assistant Secretary Brigham, of the de-
partment of agriculture, whose position
rs master Of the National Grange, has
led him to especially look into this
subject, sis how these men on the
Democratic side, who profess such
friendship for the farmers and anxiety
to do anything possible for their bene-
at, now, when there is an opportunity
to render them substantial assistance,
deliberately turn them down. Here is
a proposition to encourage new in
dustry which will give employment to
thousands of men, put under cultiva-
ton large tracts of idle land or land
now growing corn or wheat, by the pay
ing of small bounty of a quarter of a
cent pound on American-grown beet
sugar, and yet these men in congress,
protesting this great friendship for the
farmers, threatened to indefinitely de-
lay the passage of the general tariff bill
rather than see this provision 1ncorpe-
rated into it. This slight assistance
from the general public would go di-
rectly to the farmers in almost every
section of the country. There is very
general interest of farmers in this
question. We have received letters
here in regard to this industry from
every section of the United States, and
thousands of applicants for trial seed
could not be supplied. In my opinion
it is somewhat doubtful, at the present
price of sugar, whether the beet sugar
industry will be an unqualified success.
Il will certainly not make the progress
it would with this small bounty pro-
posed. New and uncertain enterprises,
such as this, believe the public should
assist to get upon their feet. If there
is success, the whole people will be
benefited, and if they do not succeed,
the very slight amount will not be no
ticed by the public.
'There have been some radical de-
partures from the old free trade and
free raw material theories in the late
discussion of the tariff bill, and from
some of the old line Democratic states
in the South We see votes in favor OF
protection to home industries. Free
trade is all right in theory and as a
theory will satisfy the people, but what
the people now want is something
practical and that something is pro-
lection to American products. The
people themselves are going away
from the old-time Democrats. Their
policy is too unprogressive and az long
as their doctrine comprises only free
trade and free raw material they will
no longer get the votes of the agricul-
tural classes. The farmers of the coun-
try are getting their eyes well opened.
They have been getting them opened
ever since this low tariff has been in
operation.
s'The recent discussion in the senate
on this tariff shows that political
struggles cannot be carried on in the
future along the old lines. If this
proposed bounty ON beet sugar were to
be enacted into law and be in force
for five years, according to the provi-
sions of the propositions rejected by
the Democratic senators, it is probable
that the business in that time would
produce very large proportion of the
one hundred million dollars worth Of
sugar now annually imported. AS has
been reiterated time and again by our
statesmen there is absolutely no ex-
cuse for this policy of importing agri-
raise ourselves. There are some agri-
cultural products which we, of course
cannot produce, but we commit the
folly of sending abroad in the neigh
borhood of 5000, 100000 annually for
articles which we should ourselves be
producing, thus giving employment to
our farm labor and keeping this great
sum of money in our own pockets. The
free traders again and again assert that
it is idle to talk of protection to the
farmers, as our farmers have practi-
cally their entire home market. But
the truth of the matter is that the
| farmer is not exempt from competition
and that the total of agricultural i'm.
portations into this country is fully
one-half of the entire importations.
have some figures here," said Mr..
Brigham in conclusion, (which may
! be surprise to good many people.
They cover the agricultural and other
importations from 1898 to 1896, inclu
sive, and show that one-half of the
value of the great number of things
imported into this country are agricul'
tural products. OF these importationf
of farm products the bulk should be
produced here in our own &C untry."
''For one, do not believe it posi-
BILE to succeed upon a platform that de
mands the unqualified free coinage Of
silver at the ratio Of 16 to with gold
We have fought that battle and it il
lost. We can never fight it over under
circumstances more favorable to our
selves. If we hope to succeed we must
abandon this extreme demand. .''-Ex
Governor Horace Boies of Iowa.
The American Baptist year book re-
ports 27,257 ministers, 40, 658 churches