Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-05-14
BUILT ON QUICKSAND.
Why the Unstable House of Pro-
lection Must Soon Collapse.
CONDEMNED BY IT'S ADVOCATES.

Attack on the Notorious Sugar Trust
by Its ErstwhiIe Friends-LOOking
Forward 10 the Death of the In
dustry.
The downfall of protection will not
be long delayed, 4 big blow having
been struck by those who were its
warmest friends. The protection theory
is built on selfishness, and when its
votarieS cease ITO receive what they
consider their full measure of protec-
ton they are not only willing to see
the whole fabric crumble, but to eE-
pose its fallacies and freebooting. The
sugar planters are the latest to COM
plain. They are blaming Cuban reci-
procity and the monopoly of the sugar
market that the tariff gives the sugar
trust. 1t was hardly to be expected,
though, that the American Economist,
the organ of the Protective Tariff
league, would publish these evident
truths about the tariff on sugar and
the extortion of the sugar trust, but in
the last issue of the Economist there is
an article by Mr.. Martin Glynn, presi-
dent and manager of the Modern Sugar
factories, Glynn, La, which tells the
sad story. He says:
while the sugar industry has APP
parent protection in the DinSley bill.
it is only apparent. The annexation of
Hawaii and Porto Rico, together with
the reciprocity with Cuba, enables the
trust to SO manipulate the sugar mar
ket in their own interest that they
keep down the price of raw sugar and
put up the price of refined as high as
they want. They will not allow us to
make n fine sugar that will go straight
into consumption, as they will not al
low the grocers to handle it,
when the sugar industry of this
country is killed, which is being done
pretty fast, there will no longer be any
inducement to have Il tariff on sugar
any more than there is OH coffee. Then
the people will not allow themselves
to be taxed for the benefit OF Hawaii,
Porto Rico or Cuba or for the sugar
trust. The people will demand free
sugar absolutely free, refined as well
as raw. Then we will get rid Of the
sugar trust, the first and the worst
trust we ever had in this country"
The sugar trust magnates are Omnip-
otent. They decree to the sugar grow
ers what kind of sugar they shall man.
ufacture from their cane and dictate
to the grocers that they must only sell
trust sugar. Lots of people would pre-
fer for many uses the raw" brown
sugar as it comes from the mills of
the planters, but it cannot be bought
.,I, Co.
Mr.. Glynn says, 1.-THE trust will not al
low the grocers to handle it." That is
the way the trusts-mOst of them
are monopOlizing not only the manu-
featuring, but debating the wholesale
and retail terms and prices on which
their product shall be sold The sugar
trust is no worse than the steel trust
and lots of other trusts, except that
its product is u necessity that all must
purchase.
Now that the prOtectionists are be-
rating the sugar trust as 1.-The worst
trust and saying 1.-The people will de-
maAd free sugar, absolutely free, re-
fined as we'll as raw and "then we
will get rid of the sugar trust" shows
the quicksands upon which the house
of protection is builded. The whole
structure is liable to collapse at any
moment, for if the protection to sugar
is removed why should the enormous
protection on iron and steel, fence
wire, axes. nails and numerous other
articles that the steel trust is interest
ed in be maintained? Why should
nearly all the other trusts be protected
so that they can charge n greater
Drice for their OrOducts hpre than
abroad? That is the question for the
voters to ponder over and inquire into
and instruct their representatives
upon. Don't be fooled by the fallacious
tales that the protective tariff brings
That it conduces to high
prices is certain, for the cost of liv-
ing is now at the top notch. as every
one who is obliged 10 count the cost
and economiZc knows full well.