The Washington times., 1909-05-20
SENATOR RCLAY'SST STATEMENT
OF THE SUGAR CASE.

OF THE SUGAR CASE.
Senator Clay, in the first speech of
= series In which the sugar schedule is
going to be discussed before the tariff
bill passes, came out frankly and fully
In agreement with the position and the
arguments of the Munsey newspapers
regarding the Sugar trust. Quoting at
great extent from the editorials of this
newspaper on the subject of the trust
and its relation to the tariff, he declar-
cd that the case of the people and of
the Government against the trust could
not be better stated. and that unless
these arguments be answered fully,
there could be no defense for failure to
revise the schedule throughout.
The statement of the Sugar trusts
enormous profits, all at the expense
of the American consumer, was most
impressive as set forth by the Georgian.
He calculated that in twelve years the
trust has got away with S660.O0e, 900
of loot. This is exclusive of the revenue
it has paid to the Treasury. With not
over ten millions of dollars actually in
vested in the beginnings, the trust
started with a nominal capital of $780,
100000, and out of the profits donated
to it through the operation of the tariff
has raised this to s90,O00,OO0, and made
profits so immense even on this aerated
capitalization that 1t dsres not let the
public or even its stockholders know
the truth about its affairs.
Senator Clay has made a careful and
painstaking study of the financial his
tory of this sucking babe of tariff
favortism, and he is entirely right in
the conclusion that but for tariff favors
the trust could not have been founded,
and without their continuance it could
not continue to exist. Adjust the sugar
schedule in the right way-in the way
that has been pointed out in this paper
day after day for weeks-snd the
Sugar trust will have the blost taken
out of it and viii be restored TO the
legitimate business of honestly refining
sugar for an open market and honest
profits
Let that be done, and this $500, ,OOO,-
600 of illegitimate profits in dozen
years will be returned to the people in
= reduced price for sugar What has
already been taken in toll from the
people, of course, cannot be returned to
them, but the taking of more can be
stopped
In another decade, with the strength
ening grip of this trust snd the natural
growth of the country, the sugar COM
bine viii get a billion of profits in a
decade. The Roman prOconsulg, who
we're sent out TO govern the provinces
and vested with the power of taxation
in order that they might squeeze pri-
vste fortunes out of their subjects.
never dreamed of such richness as the
Government gives the sugar magnates.
Crsssus and Jucullus were cheap and
tawdry operators in petty things, COM
pared to the grand ducsl ring of sugar
manipulators. The power of taxation
is, by the sugar schedule, Just as frank
ly and completely turned over to these
buccaneers of modern finance as It was
given by the Roman senate TO the
gorgeous old barbarians who looted the
world for their own enrichment. How
long viii it take the American public
of today TO realize the accuracy of the
parallel.
The Sugar trusts graft is guarded
snd guaranteed by the continuance IT,
the schedule of those words, mot above
No. l6 Dutch standard in COLOR This
has been pointed out and demonstrated
time and again. Let somebody move
that they be stricken from the legisla
ton, and without another word of
j, change, at any point, the schedule will
put the sugar business on a legitimate
basis. True. the duties. on both raw
and refined, viii still be excessive. But
that can be corrected later. The thing
now IS TO eliminate the graft, the
license 10 rob the public, the privilege
of subjugAting the planter and the beet
sugar maker. Cut out the graft and
the rest will presently take care OF
itself. And the graft is, we repeat, in
those words:
''Not above No. 10 Dutch standard
in color"
Away with them,