The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-10-20
WHAT Is PROTECTION?

soi-disant Democrats denounclhg
what they call Bryan Democrats,
because such Bryan Democrats
would place Il duty on imported
sugars and molasses. These will
tell you that placing 4 duty on sugar
will protect the sugar from those
who may undersell them III the home
markets and, therefore, such Bryan
Democrats are not Democrats IN
fact. but only so in name. You VIII
find Republican who believes IN
protection saying hard things about
Democrats who voted for Tie Din
gley bill. If Won will look Up this
same Republicans record, YOU VIII
probably find that he and others
petilioned the same Democrats TO
vote for the Dingley bill. You will
also find some Democrats who cal.
themselves protccti0nists for the
reason that they favor duty on IN
ported sugar.
Of course. the Republicans who
are in favor of protection ana who
pc,itionel Democrats TO support the
DingIev bill, are very inconsistent
now when they oppose such Demo
Gratis. when they themselves admit
that. were q Republican il Congress,
h" could do more, from their stand
point.
Now we think that one calling
himself a Democrat ard "ho de-
nounces his brother Democrats be
cause such Democrat is in favor Of a
duty on sugar is unjast, and does not
apaly to his brother Democrat either
the history of the Democratic party
or the present platform Of the party.
We think so for this reason. We
are compelled, as long as we raise
money to support the government hy
taxing imports. 10 put duty on
something, or we would raise no
duty. Then, according to the Demo
cratic idea OF raising revenue tor the
support OF tie government, we would
place a duty On sugar, for the rea-
son, that sugar mere than any other
imported article would answer the
purposes OF the Democratic doctrine.
Now some may say, This is very
good argument but how about the
facts . Well the facts are just
what constitute it al argument. vi
the little over two hundred millions
of dollars raised by duties on i'm
ports during the last fiscal year, six
tx five millions were collected from
imported sugars. Four times as
much practically as was collected
from any other article, and Yet thers
are those who will tell you that
sugar is in danger from the Demo
cratic party, because the party will
take the duty off. There is no dap
ger of the parts taking the duty Oft,
as long as we collect our taxes fol
the support of the Federal Govern
| ment as we BOW 10. and when VIC
change that method, no party ca!
afford relief from tue standpoint OF
levying duties on imports.
In other words the whole thing
amounts simply and truly to this
that the sugar industry is rs safe il
the hands of the Democrats rs it is
in the hands of Tie Republicans,
with this difference that Democrats
have not placed sugar on the free
list, whereas the Republicans did sc
once.
The policy Of the Democratic
party in collecting revenue for the
support Of the government will af
ford as much protection as the sugar
industry requires. But there is this
| difference, that the Republican par
ty call their placing duty on sugar
as protection of it, while the Demo
Gratis call it raising revenue to sup
port the government.
The Democratic party is not 4
party Of protection, the Republican
party is. UDe believes in so placing
duties as to raise revenue, the other
without regard to raising revenue
believes in placing duties for the
purposes of protection. Under the
Republican policy, they could and
probably would, place 4 duty on in.
ported sugar, if we did not import
an ounce, and if we raise all the
sugar used in the world right here
in our own country. What would be
the effect Of this? 1t would be that
sugar would be higher at home than
it is abroad, just as steel rails. under
the Republican policy are cheaper,
when they have been sent ten thous-
and miles across the Pacific Ocean
and four thousand miles further to
reach the Russian Trans Siberian
railroad, we say cheaper in Russia
than they are right here at home.
That policy protects the Russian
government but we fail to see where
it~protects Americans who want to
00V Ateci rails