The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-23
AN UNEXPECTED OUTCOME. The House Vote on the Cuban biii Will Be Far-Reaching in Effect.

Chica 20 CnrOnICle on the Cuban relief bill places not merels the pro spect of securing reiief. pus .n. . whole sugar schedule of the tarII' II @ mu' the entire tariff. in new ana aui'e u"
 Tnis results not 50 much from the adop- ton of the Morris amendment py the combined vote of the Democrats anu the beet sugar and other Repuohcans as iroI, ~. the passage of the bill as amended oy
 the combined vote of the Democrats ana inc administration Republicans.
 There seemed to be sufficient reason 10
 believe that the adoption of the amend.
 ment would have the effect to Kill the
 bin. Since it did not, we need not be,
 greatly surprised to see Ike succes-
 sion of combi nations carry the plii n
 substantially it's present shape tnroush
 the Senate. The possibility or tnis out
 come makes the situation extremely m-
 teresting.
 The Morris amendment goes far be- yond the abolition of the dlnerenual
 duty on refined sugar. It wipes out the
 entire sugar schedule and substitute one
 specific rate on all grades of sugar rom
 the cheapest up to the refined article
 The present schedule starts with duty
 of ninety five hundredths of cent per
 above ] $ desress. and adds thirty-five thousa ndths of a cent for each additionh degree of saccharine strength. rms makes the rate 1875 cents per pound on sugar testing IVu, or tt1c hS Morris amendment makes this the uni form rate on all sugars from the lowest to the highest grade, including refined If this should become the law one ei- feet would be to shut out all low grace raw sugars. because 1t would not pay the refiners to import any but the highest grade sugars, even from Cuba.
 Another effect would be to place the refiners at disadvantage in competing against foreign refiners. except in refining sugars which they could get free of duty from Hawaii and at reduced rates of duty from Cuba. Paying the same specinc rate on raw sugar as would he charged on refined, they would be paying a higher ad valorem rate. This obviously would place our reiiners at disadvantage, just as 1t would the foreign producers of low grade sugars, Absolutely free trade in
 nsa ths rener. Hs s taa the Morri. Gs tsr
 Still another effect of the passage Of l this bill would be to abolish the counter railing duty on sugars imported from countries which pay oounties on their Sugar producers an advantage fin foreign markets, just as we by our tariff give an advantage to our producers Of steel and many other articles.
 If protection is defensible in any case | 1t is defensible for the protection of our | home producers against foreign products which are directly or indirectly bountied. The most important practical effect of
  | it's present shape in all proba bility would be the importation of enorm )us quantities of refined sugar where now scarcely any | is in ported and a corresponding decrease in the importation of raw sugar. Our refiners would still refine the home
 product and all that we might import from Hawaii and Cuba. but their busi- ness would be vastly reduced. This would the more certainly be the case if the bounty policy should be continued by Flu ropean countries If that policy should be abandoned our refiners very likely would be able to hold their own. When we consider what the effects of the bfll would be we find it difficult to believe that it will ever become law in it's present shape. It is only merely that | its present shape. It is not merely that best of their ability. and that their abfl- l iy has proved to be very formidable in | the past, but that the administration Re publicans when it comes to a pinch will prefer to sacrifice Cuba rather than per init such a dangerous breach to be made
 in the protection wall as this bill would effect.
 Besides. there must be a getting to- gether or there will be an irreparable breach in the party, which is nothing if not protectlonist.