The Goodland republic., 1902-06-27
A NIGGER N TIE MOODPILE.

A NIGGER IN THE wOODPILE.
There must be a large sized African
in the congressional woodpile when it
defies the president and disregards the
sentiment of the whole country as to
wisdom of the policy and the justice
of the demand for reciprocity with
Cuba. There is method in this mad
ness" The popular will is the court of
last resort before which these gentle
men must stand trial, and their con
demnatiOn will be swift and sure.
The case of ex-senator PETER is in
point When the Wilson bill was up
before the senate he voted to keep up
the sugar schedule and subsequently
reported favOrably to continuing the
sugar bounty of two cents per pound
He was defeated for reelection, and, if
we mistake not the animus of the Kan
sas people, Burton will share the same
fate. Mr.. PETER was a member of the
senatorial committee to investigate the
condition of agriculture, in the inter
i'm Of congress, and, incidentally, the
sugar beet industry.
In this capacity he visited the Ok
nards' factory located at Chino, San
BeTnardino county, southern Califor-
MIA, where his son was employed
'learning the business and was dOmi-
cilled, not at boarding house but at
the Oxnard mansion. The beet sugar
h~,1
anxious to see Mr.. PETER to present
their grievances against the company,
as they claimed that they were paid
only $3.50 a ton for beets whereas in
other parts of the state 81 was the
price paid, and besides this there we're
other Incidental factory charges that
brought down the price paid at Chino
for beets to 1925 Some of the farmers
had done farely well while others had
lost everything mOrtgaged to the com
pany and were in debt besides.
They could not find out when Mr..
Peffer would be there, although con-
siderable correspondence was had with
that end in view. The Oxnards were
posted but gave out no information on
the subject Of his visit. He was met
at station some ten miles away and
conveyed in the family turnout to the
Oxnard mansion, where he was hOspi-
tally entertained. The next forenoon
he was shown through the factory and
then conveyed away to a station on
another line, the Hear beet farmers all
this time in ignorance Of his visit. He
did not even show himself about the
town. This was in the summer of 1896.
Mr.. PETER returned east and made
his report to the senate fovOring the
bounty on beet sugar. He was retired
to private life, and justly. The beet
sugar trust Is a grasping and grinding
monopoly. In Nebraska as well as in
California the beet growers have made
complaint Of the dealings Of this trust.
When the bounty of two cents a pound
was In force they made enormous prof
its and amassed millions, their net
profit on a ton of beets being IS. Since
the repeal Of that law it is 8. The 25C
pounds Of granuIated sugar, the finish
ed product from a ton of beets, Is worth
$3.50, retail, and $40, wholesale. At 5.
a ton for beets, and S3 cost, all told. fol
manufacture there remains g net t,
the trust.
The beet farmer tolls all through tn,
season; the factory runs three month.
in the year. The farmer cannot max
his beets into sugar, but is dependen
on the factory and must take what tn
trust is willing to pay. As a rule, tn
beets are grown on valuable irrigate
lands; and when labor and land value
are considered, there is little better in
come in beet farming than in othe
branches of agriculture.
From the noise made about "a ne
and growing industry one would thin
the farmer was the principal benefc
ary. OF the 90 per cent protection {
the tariff 90 inures to the benefit {
the combine and, possibly, 3 per Ger
TO the farmer. The Oxnards hay
been accused Of bringing in contrao
labor and coiOnizing European en-
grants to farm beet lands.
The public. has a right to know the.