The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-11


In about sixty days sugar has advanced
almost one cent per pound; the tone of
the market is strong, and it is altogether
likely that the advance viii be continued.
How high the price win go cannot be pre-
dicted as the market depends upon the
sweet viii of the sugar trust by the grace
of the republican policy on June white
extra sugar, by the wholesale schedule
for Savannah. was quoted at 4 cents nat;
on Aug it was quoted at 4.s7 The ad-
vance was not put on all at once, but
steadily by slow degrees, a few points at
time. The same methods win probably
be continued. until the trust has reached
the point OF squeezing the last penny pos
sible out of the people.
only few years ago the republicans,
with a great flourish Of trumpets and
much hypocritical prating about remov-
ing the tax from "the poor mans break
fast table, put sugar on the free list That
was before the sugar trust had perfected
its organization and gone extensively into
the governing business. Now. however,
the trust comes pretty near to owning the
republican party. At any rate, it die
tates, and the party obeys; it demands
the privilege of plundering the public, and
the republican party promptly arranges
the mode of procedure. Under the new
tariff law the sugar trust is the absolute
master of seventy millions of people, in
so FAR as the price and consumption of
sugar are concerned. Not only has the
trust been given highly increased protec-
ton-the sugar trust is one OF the indus
trial "infants'-but the competitor which
it had most 10 fear has been shut out of
the market, except under heavy penalty.
Not only is German sugar liable to the
regular rate of duty, but it is subject to
an extra tax, for the reason that Germany
pays a bounty to her sugar producers.
Because Germany pays a bounty Ameri-
cans are forced to pay a higher price for
the sugar they consume; not 50 much that
the treasury Of the government may be
benefited, as that the treasury of the sugar
trust may be swelled with profits! Could
the tax-paying power be more outrageous
~ employed?
1t should be borne in mind that there
is no longer independence in the sugar
trade in this country. No grocer, no mat
ter how large his business, can buy bar
rel of sugar except in the manner and at
the price fixed by the trust, and through
the trusts agents. The wholesaler under
the trusts plan has absolutely no voice
in the transactions in sugar which pass
through his hands. He is merely the dis
tributing and collecting agent for the
trust, and for his services as such he is
allowed by the trust a small fraction of
cent on each pound Of sugar handled.
The trust in New York makes prices for
Savannah and San Antonio. and Seattle,
and Sacramento. and every other city in
the United States, and the wholesaler who
disobeys the trusts orders soon finds him
self without sugar. This is the kind of
organization that has been presented a
gratuity of millions of dollars by the re-
publican administration.
The sugar trust, however, is not alone
in the favor of the republicans. Every
other trust in the list has been given spe-
cial license in the new tariff bill to pluck
the people Consumers may expect an ad-
vance all along the line in the prices of
the necessaries of life which are controlled
by trusts, and a very great many of them
are so controlled.