Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-02-12

Nohohiui III lnt Nuhhho SPB'NN"sN ShS
services rendered them or are In the
least gateful therefor, AT any rate
there is a great deal Of i%nsolence and
abuse INDUCED in by some who seem
TO imagine that this country owes
them something.
We say II Is a grave question wheth-
er we should go still further in our aid
and sacrifice or cripple our own indus
tries in order to give them a market
for completing products-make con-
cessions that would benefit the Amer
lean sugar refining company more
than II would the planters OF Cuba.
This question is at present before
congress, and while there is sympathy
for the Cuban people and a desire to
aid them to the extent that the island
will not be further impoverished many
OF our statesmen regarding "~self-pres-
ervation the first law of nature" do
not deem It wise TO admit sugar free
of duty. for the reason that the United
States is greatly interested in the pro-
duction of beet sugar and to let down
the bars to Cuban sugar would mean
the destruction of this rapidly devel.
oping industry without any material
gain to the consumers of sugar in this
country. Must we injure beyond re-
pair a great industry of this country
in order to still further show nj SYM
patty for Cuba? This seems to DO
asking too much. Like all other in
dustries that have been built up in this
country by protection, beet sugarneeds
its fostering care. OF course, ther
are those who will say that the manu-.
facture of sugar from beets is in its
experimental stage and that the pro-
duct is a mere bagatelle; that 1t can.
not be produced to any great extent.
We have heard much of that kind of
talk. II was said that we could not
produce steel rails, but the product is
now larger and better than that of any
other country on the globe. When we
commenced the production of steel
rails England was supplying them to
the United States for $4,000 in gold
per ton; we are now supplying the
world with steel rails at s2S per ton.
|. was the same with many other lines
o. manufacture. II is but a few years
since we commenced the manufacture
of tin plate. Then the proposition was
ridiculed by the free trade press and
orators. Now we produce nearly all
the tin plate we use and II is claimed
that the price has fallen to a lower
point in this country than in Europe.
though wages are nearly double.
The manufacture of sugar from the
beet has passed the experiment stage;
K is a rapidly growing industry, and
one promising to be more general OF
common in its benefits, owing to the
wide range Of its productive capacity
than any other protected industry.
Its possibilities are not yet compre-
hended. 1t would not be surprising
II the production would ultimately
meet the home demand and America
become a large exporter of sugar. I'm
1899" says a reliable authority. 1--WE
had 80 sugar factories that were do
ing a profitable business; in 1900, 6
new ones were erected. and still more
were built in 1901; and capital is wait
ing to go into the industry in several
states ii it could be assured that the
present tariff would continue. There
are now twenty-six and a half million
dollars invested. not in the sugar in
dustry. but in the factories alone, to
say nothing of what is invested in
raising the beets. There are about
10000 acres now devoted to beet
raising. producing a crop value of
about three millions and a hall, EN-.
ploying about 1890 hands and paying
a million and a half in wages"
Some concessions may be made to
Cuba in order to help them in their
impoverished condition. but il would
seem as though this country had done
enough already, without Gripping our
own industries by cutting down the
duties to a point where they afford no
protection.