New-York tribune., 1902-02-08
A FUTILE THREAT.

! The beet sugar lobbyists in their desperate
campaign against national honor and justice
are threatening with political extinction all
| Congressman who resist their selfish schemes.
1t is intimated that at least in every close dis
trict the influence of the beet sugar trust will
be used for the defeat of the man who dares
to vote for reciprocity with Cuba. We shall
not think so meanly of any Congressman as to
believe he can be scared by such a menace into
voting for national shame. But it may be worth
while in passing to note the puny futility of the
threat.
The appeal for votes against the supporters
Of reciprocity must be made TO the farmers. AL
ready there has emanated from the Beet Sugar
Trust and from the Agricultural Department
fine spring freshet OF crocodile tears for the
myriads of poor farmers who will be absolutely
ruined if Cuban sugar is admitted to our mar
kets. But what are the facts in the case? Does
the Beet Sugar Trust own the farmers? Or are
the farmers dependent upon beet growing and
enamoured of that industry? Scarcely. Despite
the glittering promises Of the Beet Sugar Trust
and the persistent urgings OF the Department
Of Agriculture, farmers decline TO engage in
sugar beet culture to any considerable extent,
or if they do they devote the beets to other
uses than sugar making. Mr.. Robert Oxnard
himself has recently testified in our columns
that his company has never been able to get
farmers to supply it with more than half as
many beets ii wanted. That surely does not
look as though the farmers Of the United States
were wildly enthusiastic over sugar beet cult
ure, or as though they were ready to vote ac-
cording TO the spiteful dictates of the Beet
Sugar Trust
Nor are the farmers blind to their own vel
fare in being thus Indifferent to the blandish-
ne haa%
ever doubted the possibility of growing sugar
beets In this country. But there is grave rea-
son for doubling the profitableness of so doing
in comparison with other crops, or the profit
ableness of turning the beets into sugar The
American Cultivator," one OF our foremost
agricultural journals, declares that It cannot
understand why sugar beet culture has been so
strongly urged by officials of the Department of
Agriculture 1T cannot be that the beet crop
mas proved profitable one Few crops have
shown yield Of over $50 worth to the acre
land the majority fall below $40 while the
manure and labor required is about half as
great as that necessary to grow five hundred
bushels of onions, and more than it takes to
grow three hundred bushels Of potatoes. and
either OF these is more certain crop on good
land well cared for than are the sugar beets"
The same journal believes the beets are worth
more TO feed to cattle than to turn into sugar
Certainly if the farmers cannot be persuaded to
grow beets for the sugar factories, they will not
be bulldozed into voting at the latters dictation
The threat of the beet sugar LOBBYISTS IS an
empty one, and they know it. They cannot "de-
liver the goods for its fulflment any more
than they can fulfil their promise to supply our
entire sugar market and to export a million
tons year. It cannot be that any Congress
man VIII he frightened by their empty menaces