Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-15
SUGAR TRUST SCORED
A scathing Denunciation Of Its Methods and
Abuses.
Gen. Forsyth's PetitiOn-Why the
From the Tariff Bill.

Gen. George A. Forsyth, United States
army (retired), Is the author of remark
able petition. which was presented to the
House of Representatives yesterday by Mr..
Belknap of Illinois. The petition prays the
House to strike the sugar schedule from
the tariff bill.
The most scathing arraignment of the
sugar trust thus far made before Congress
is conveyed in the statements set forth by
Gen. Forsyth in support of his prayer. The
methods. profits and abuses of the sugar
trust are brought out in detail.
Gen. Forsyth's petition says. in part:
'The passage of the tariff bill with the
sugar schedule in it at this late day, dur
ing the present session of Congress, and its
enactment into law, will prevent the col
lection by the government of the United
States of many millions of dollars in duties
that should have accrued to the govern
ncnt in the natural course of trade, and
the amount of money that will be so lost to
the revenues of the government will be
taken from our people as the result of said
bill becoming law, and go to enrich the
American Sugar RefinerieS Company, and
their friends, and other spectators in raw
sugars. and, in the opinion of your petit
tfoner, while your constituents are content
to accept in good faith, and generally do
acquiesce cheerfully in all laws that your
honorable body may, from time to time,
enact that may be requisite to raise an
adequate revenue for the necessary ex-
penses of the general government, they
certainly ought not, in order to supply
themselves with one of the necessaries of
life, be compelled by law to contribute vast
sums of money to the stockholders of the
american Sugar RefinerieS Company and
other spectators in raw sugars when only
a comparative moiety, if any at all, of the
immense amount of money that they will
be compelled to pay during the next nine
he lax
ever reach the United States treasury
while many millions of dollars of their
hard-earned wages will be wrung from
them under cover of said law by the sugar
trust and its chosen friends
The petition then states that the object
or the sugar trust was to gain money for
ts originators and details the method of
It's formation, at a cost to the trust of
$500, 900. but that is row Capitalized at
SDWO.UO. 1t says that there has been an
annual dividend for the last three wears of
more than Is per cent per annum on the
first cost of their refineries" Gen FORSYTH
states that between 5000, 600 and 5000 OtD
was lost to the government by the trust
rushing In raw sugar during the discussion
of the tariff act Of 1894
.Anticipntory Importations.
1T Is all open secret" the petit
ton continues. that no sooner was
the election of President Mckinley assured
and an extra session of Congress almost a
certainty, and an increased tariff to provide
Tor the actual expenses of the government
a necessity, that the sugar trust at once
threw Its buyers into every market In the
world 10 purchase raw sugars and to shin
ana enter them into our ports under the
wilson tariff In advance of the expected
increase in duties. in the hope Of being able
LOT second time to favorably influence
Congress. again deplete the revenue and
once more despoil the people
ana now let us see how far they have
got on the road toward accomplishing that
END. II. with stock of 35o, 600 tons Of raw
sugar In the ports of New York PhiIadel-
pnia, Baltimore and Boston on August rs
1894, the day on which the Wilson tariff
look effect. the sugar trust managed to de-
prive the government of more than four
months revenue-what will they not ac-
complish In 1881. with over 743OOO tons in
the same four ports before the bill has
become law? Today they and their
friends hold ractically at least eight,
sugar and If the House bill, or the dill
substituted by the Senate, should be
come law. 1t will increase the pres
ent duty on raw sugar from 10 per
cent TO W per cent above the existing
schedule. This means from SIG to SIS per
net ton. which will he gained by the trust
and their friends. taken from the people
and lest to the customs revenue
by rushing in an eight months (proba-
bly, nine months) supply of refined and
raw sugars. they have to that extent an
t.cipated the action of Congress and they
Will be enabled, in case this bill becomes
Law, to absorb two-thrds of the said $40
po.OoO increase. That is in round NUMBERS
say, &4.GO,HW. and their gain on the ST.
gar imported under the Wilson tariff oW-
ing to its lower price, will prove to be some-
thing more than S2.WO,WU additional en-
abiing them to net $16.oOO.OO, in case this
bill receives your sanction"
The petition concludes as follows:
In Behalf of the People.
Gentlemen of the House of Representa-
tives. your petitioner believes 1t is impera-
tive, in your own interest. that you pause
and reconsider this bill, for the people of
the United States not SO in love with
the sugar trust that they will tamely sub
init to your presenting said corporation
Sl6oOO.OOO of their money as q testimonial
of your appreciation and esteem of It's
workings. especially when said money will
be wrung from them under cover of law,
and not one dollar of this immense sum of
which they will be despoiled by the sugar
trust will ever reach the treasury of the
United States.
Striking this sugar schedule from the
tariff bill at this time will not injure the
tariff revenue of the United States in COM
paratively the slightest degree prior to the
reassembling of Congress next December
and your petitioner believes there Ia ability
enough In your body to frame a new sugar
schedule that will collect all the revenue
that may legally accrue to the government
under 1t, and that you will be able to show
yourselves capable of coping with this ar
rogant aggregation of capital, prevent its
taking advantage of the people in a change
of tariff, and compel it to respect the Laws
Of our country"