The Washington times., 1909-05-19
SUGAR: A CHANCE FOR REAL
REVISION. NO. XIV.

The words mo. 16 Dutch standard
are, we repeat, the joker in the sugar
schedule. They make the tariff more
unreasonable than it would otherwise
be- They make it impossible for the
brokers and the jobbers TO deal with
anyone but the trust. They make it
impossible for the sugar manufacturer
of the tropics to deal with anyone bu5
the trust.
For they force the importers of sugar
TO bring it into the country too brown
Tor use. so that the trust may have the
Job OF whitening it. If it were not for
this senseless color restriction. the
sugar growers could sell theiB high
grade, unrefned sugar directly to the
people, in doing which they would pay
from S4,O0O,0o0 to S6.OO0.OOO more
duties into the Treasury than now, and
make sugar cheaper to the consumer.
This would be done by cutting out
the process of refining which is useless,
for any but the highest grades of sugar
DIR. Harvey w. Wiley has described
this old Dutch color test as obsolete.
antiquated, and absurd. Anyone can
see that its only function is a crooked
and CRAFTY one by looking into the mat
ter a moment. But we are not without
other authority.
On March IA, 1902, Hon William A.
Sulzer of New York spoke under the
minute rule bn support of a bill
which he had introduced to remove the
color restriction on mrefned sugar
coming from Cuba. "There should be
no opposition" said he, TO this plan
of permitting the Cuban planters to
market their unrefined product i'm
medistely in this country. 1t would
mot materially iniure the beet-sugar
growers nor the cane-sugar growers of
this country. but would benefit the
Cuban planters and furnish TO the
people of this country cheaper and
better sugar"
What Mr.. Sulzer said seven years
ago is true now. The color restriction
once removed, not only from Cuban
sugar, but from that of the whole
world, we should have better and
cheaper sugar than now in the influx
OF high grade unrefined sugars; but the
home producers of both beet and cane
would still have the protection of their
tariff wall. The trusts wall would be
the only one thrown down. Mr.. Sulzer
understood this perfectly.
AT present" said he, ION account of
the color restriction put in the law by
the Sugar trust. EVERY POUND OF
UNREFINED SUGAR THAT COMES
INTO THIS COUNTRY MUST BE
SOLD TO THE TRUST, and it must
be sold to the trust at the trusts own
price II this bill to remove that re-
striction should become a law, the
Cuban sugar planters, if they were un-
able to sell to the Sugar trust, could
market their product and sell TO groc-
ers and consumers in competition with
the Sugar trust
Exactly, And so could they today.
IL the old Dutch color test were re
moved, as it should be, not only from
Cuban sugar. but from that OF all the
world.
The only legitimate opposition to
this bill,D Mr.. Sulzer went on, "must
therefore come from the Sugar trust,
in order to control this product, dictate
the price, and stife competition. When
this question is understood, | am salts
fed that every friend of the people,
every foe to monopoly, and every be-
lever in commercial justice viii favor
the bill"
It is jnconceivable that in the present
Congress there will not be found some
foe to monopoly" some believer in
commercial justice" brave enough and
wise enough 10 strike out this wicked
oId formula, the office OF which is TO
force useless refining OF sugar 50 that
e may b. done at the mills of a thicv-
ish and nelarious monopoly.
.The color restriction" went on Mr.
Sulzer. ION sugar is a device of the
Sugar trust, and was put in the Dingley
high protective tariff law at the insti-
CATION of the Sugar trust, to give it a
monopoly in this country in refined
sugars. Remove the color restriction
and the higher grade Cuban sugars can
be put on the American market at once
and sold in competition with the refined
sugars OF the trust. " present tho
color restriction in the law forces the
producers OF Cuban sugar TO sell 10 the
trust at the price fixed by the trust
AMI compels the American consumers
TO buy from the trust at the prices
dictated by the trust"
Was ever more tremendous charge
formulated against a piece Of lcgisla
ton! Can any Senator or member