The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-10
GAGE AND THE TARIFF,

GAGE AND THE TARIFF.
The ruling of Secretary Gage on the
Russian sugar imports bids fair to be
one of the most costly to American
producers and exporters, if not the most
sensational in our fiscal relations abroad
American manufacturers who are the
victims of Russian retaliation are laying
siege to the secretary and the president
and threaten next to go into the courts
for appeal from the secretarys ruling
It is interesting that the internal strife
that thus far has arisen is largely within
the Administrations political family,
namely, in the ranks of the beneiciaries
of the D1ngley tariff and the administra-
ton organs. Among the latter, the Bos-
ton Transcript pronounces the Gage rul-
ing ''the most sensational movement in
that direction that has confronted the
United States" The Boston Advertiser,
likewise Republican, boldly charges that
the ruling was made 'to oblige the sugar
trust The Baltimore American, the
great Maryland organ, likewise states
that the only beneficiary is the sugar
trust 'to which every man, woman and
child in the United States will be forced
to pay tribute and says that it is in
comprehensive that the ruling should be
made against the most important bust
ness interests and against the immediate
interests Of every human being in the
land, except the beneficiaries of the SUI
gar trust Republican organs in Phil
adelphia are just as outspoken. The
Ledger questions the wisdom of the ad-
ministration starting a tariff war for the
benefit Of "a trust which taxes ATneri-
can consumers at it's own sweet will and
controls labor with an iron hand And
the North American calls attention to
the fact that American manufacturers
will be shut out of the Russian field not
only during the life of the ruling, but
for long period after, because the mar
ket which the Americans have built UP
in Russian territory by hard labor and
great cost will be occupied by German
competitors who cannot be easily dispos-
sessed of a market once secured.
Not OILY the wisdom but the legality
of the Gage ruling Is questioned. The
ruling is based on that clause OF the
Dingley tariff law which provides that,
whenever any country shall pay or be-
stow directly or indirectly any bounty
or grant upon the expectation of any
article" there shall be collected and de-
clared by the secretary of the treasury
"an additional duty equal to the net
amount Of such bounty or grant" But
the Russian minister Of finance declares
that, mo bounty to encourage the ex-
port of sugar exists in Russia The
whole ground of Cages ruling is the fact
simply, as stated by the Russian min
lister, that Russian sugar is subject to
an indirect impost applying only to in
ternal consumption and this inpost does
not apply to sugar exported to foreign
countries" The Russian tax law simply
does not apply to sugar consumed
abroad. To interpret this as a bounty
under the provisions of the Dingley act
therefore, the Russian government con-
siders not only a strained Interpretation
but high-handed The American manu-
appeal from the ruling hold to the view
of the Russian government.
Passing the legality, there is no ques-
ton of the rank unwisdom displayed. The
Gage ruling benefits the sugar trust to
the extent Of shutting out only $500 900
worth Of Russian sugar imports per an
num-a matter surely not serious enough
to be the cause Of an international tariff
war. But the Russian retaliation on iron
and steel and American machinery, even
should the tariff war halt there, destroys
American sales of 100000 per annum
This is double the value of all the ex-
ports Of the United States to the Philip
pines. Thus Secretary Gage by a single
| ruling has wiped out double the trade
| value of our much heralded commercial
| accession westward, which to date has
| cost us, in addition to the first pay
ment of $4,000, OOO the sum of $547, oGO, 600
and the lives of 1900 young men for the
! prosecution of war
This is case of paying dear for the
whistle!
And it is the trusts whistle, and not
the peoples, that we are buying. The
people come in only where they are
made to whistle to pay sugar trust tax,
es in return for the destruction of their
| markets abroad.
French, Austrian, German and Russian
papers are now full OF still more
| serious proposition, namely, European
trade zollverein to protect European
commerce against American invasion
and retaliate against American tariffs,
not only in detail. but in general. Suca