The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-10-16
The Sugar War.

1
intercsts-thc interests Of the great
refining company on the one hand and
Of the domestic sugar producers on the
other.
There is some heavy skirmishing
already in progress in the West, in
the Missouri River territory, where
the trust has forced the fighting by
cutting the wholesale price Of granu-
lated sugar to 3! cents pound net,
the price in the rest Of the country
being 9 cents higher, but the main
battle will come off in Washington
this winter when our commercial rcla-
tions with. Cuba come up for discus
sion and adjustment.
If the Sugar Trust can have its way,
it is explained, raw sugar from Cuba
will be imported free and refined by
the concern, which will give it great
power and profit. And it, besides, it
can keep the tariff on refined sugar, it
will have everything its own way, as
such conditions would prevent the re-
fning of sugar in Cuba and throw the
raw product Of the island into the
control Of the trust. These are the
conditions the concern is plotting and
working for by it's move in the West
and otherwise. The sugar beet inter
est of the West, on the othc. hand,
would put tariff on raw sugar. and,
if any tariff reductions were to be
made, would have them made in the
refined product. The advantage that
would lie with the sugar beet manu-
facturers, and the blow it would give
the trust, appears from the fact that
the sugar beet factories produce refin-
ed sugar directly from the beets.
The trust will make powerful argu-
ment on the ground that there must
be fair dealing with Cuba, and will
stand, therefore, for the occasion, as
Cuba's champion. The sugar beet
interest includes the farmers of the
States in which the beets are grown,
and in many States this elemegt is
strong enough to determine the re-
suits Of elections, and it is steadily
growing and spreading. Even as far
East as Indiana, it is noted, one or
two factories in the northern part of
the State would organize local inter
est strong enough to make the State
doubtful iu close contest. Mr.. Ok
nard, who is large manufacturers Of
beet sugar, and the general of the
sugar beet forces" is planning his
campaign accordingly, and skilfully,
and is seeing to it that beet factories
are being erected in as many States as
possible.
The pressure that will thl.s be
brought upon Congress, it is seen, will
be very strong, and the threatened in
terest will be reinforced, Of course, by
the support Of the sugar planters of
Louisiana, aud Of Georgia auI Florida
in which States the cane sugar in
dustry is now we'll established and is
rapidly growing in extent and import
ance-and Of other protected inter
ests, all of which have taken alarm
and are disposed to stand together to
prevent break ut any point in the
tariff line. That the trust will fight
hard, is sufficiently indicated by the
fact that the triumph Of the sugar beet
people will mean the serious decline
of it's power and profits if not the end
of them.
Another view of the subject, and
one of very general interest to the
dear people who look on the game, and
pay FOR 1t, is presented by one Of the
Eastern papers, the Boston Post.
After noting the fact that the trust
has reduced the wholesale price of
granulated sugar to 3! cents in the
sugar beet States, while the price Of
the same product is maintained at 81
cents in the rest Of the country, it
says:
"Nhy this discrimination against
consumers in New England and in
favor of consumers at the West? Sim
ply that the Sugar Trust is at this
moment engaged in the work of crush
ing the beet sugar industry. The
trust makes cane sugar, and the beet
sugar producers are interfering with
its monopoly. And what enables the
Sugar Trust to carry on this warfare
against its rival? Simply the differ
entail which the Dinglcy tariff pro-
vides for its protection.
eff the Sugar Trust can sell granu-
lated sugar ut Missouri River points,
where beet sugar comes in competi-
nr onko ~ 4 II