The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-10-03
The Sugar Industry Marked for

i IF thesvoters OF Louisiana, and more
| particularly those of the sugar-pro-
dueing section of the state, are going
to cast their ballots in November for
the Democratic candidates for presi.
dent and congressman, let them do 1t
with the full knowledge that they are
contributing to the success of a party
that stands pledged through its fore
| most leaders and organs to put sug ar
on the free list and thus strike what
must be, if delivered, fatal blow
to the sugar industry Of this country.
Mr.. Bryan's position on this ques-
ton is we'll known. He is on record
| as declaring unequivoeally that sugar
should be on the free list. His own
| words, uttered in congress when the
German Wilson tariff bill was under
discussion, were: Il would rather give
free sugar to the people and make up
the deficit by an income tax" And in
|sreply to the question of Mr.. Perkins,
Are you to be understood as opposed
to- a state or national projection to be
extended to the beet sugar industrg2''
Mr.. Bryan said, II am, most as
sufediy." I he is elected president
the influence OF that great Office will be
used to remove the tax on imported
sugar, lumber, rice and other products
OF Louisiana which are now receiving
protection under the Dtngley tariff
enacted by the Republican party.
The danger to the states most val
liable industry involved in the success
Of Mr.. Bryan and his party is empha
sizsd and brought nearer home by an
open assault from the leading Demo
cratic newspaper Of Louisiana-the
New Orleans Daily States-which, un
ar the caption Of Democracy and
Sugar. asks the deliberate question,
Has the sugar industry been worth
20 Louisiana what it cost?n and pro-
.ceeds TO argue the negative side of the
proposition with characteristic vigor
and plainness of speech. The States
is pre-eminently the organ of Mr..
Bryan and mis- party in the pending
contest, since the reputed owner of the
paper is member Of International Dem
oeratic committee for Louisiana. No
Democrat in the state stands closer TO
the Candidates and the party. organi
cation than he, and no, newspaper can
speak with more authority than his
own concerning the tbotives and pur
poses of the Democratic managers or
the policies to be carried into exeeu-
lion if the people OF the country en-
trust the Democratic party as at pres
ent constituted with the control of the
national government.
Under the pretext th at the character
of the sugar industry has changed from
former conditions to such an extent
that it now encourages a pernieious
system of corporate landlordism. la
Dor degradation, importation of ig-|
norant and vicious immigrants, fsde-
strue6ive of social, industrial, educa-
tional and moral development along
normal lines, the States boldly pro-
claims the socialistic proposition that
thesdivision of the sugar plantations
into farms of from forty to one hun
dred acres would he panacea for all
these evils. The maintenance of lobby
at w ashington for the protection of
sugar is denounced by this candid or
gan of Democracy, and the inference
is advanced that the industry should
quietly take its chances of receiving
such projection as. may be accorded
under rif-for-revenue policy
or perhaps no protection at all.
We shave not the space or time avail.
able this week for discussing the
grounds upon which the States bases
its very untimely and unfortunate at
tack upon the sugar industry, but the
erroneous and speeious quality of It's
arguments can and will be
readily exposed. Let every citizen |
afo appreciates the vital relation of |
the sugar industry to the welfare and
prosperity of Louisiana poader we'll |
the significance Of this assault from
the chief local organ Of the party I
whose presidential candidate declares
for free sugar, and when the grav- /
ity Of the peril is properly understood I
and appreciated it will be marvellous /
indeed if no fote Of genera protest
and revolt is sounded, and if there be
40 attempt at the polls to prevent The
of Democratic supremacy. /