The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-19

uItS Wnltu SnOW Iudl lilS iOou plO-
duct pays a tax of nearly 80 per cent |
while many articles OF luxury in this
country are taxed at much lower
rates.
why should we place tax on
sugar at nearly so per cent and only
l5 per cent on automobiles? Why |
should we place tax of nearly 80
per cent on sugar and 35 per cent on
costly furs? Why should we place a
tax of nearly 80 per cent on sugar and
only 10 per cent on diamonds? Why
should we place tax of so per cent
on sugar and only so per cent on ex-
pensive feathers and trimmed hats?
IL have figures and facts before me
which clearly show that the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining Company, com
monty called the Sugar trust, has re.
peatedly sold considerable quantities
of sugar for export at nearly 2 cents
per pound less than the price quoted
in the domestic market. II the
American Sugar Refining Company,
commonly called the trust, can export
and sell sugar at cents per pound
abroad and this trust sells the same
sugar in America at nearly cents
per pound, who can wonder that the
sugar trust has doubled, and even
quadrupled its investment yearly?
Shall we continue to leglsate in
the interest of criminals and against
the interest of the American peopleY
If this sugar scedule shall be enacted
into law in the interest of these con-
fessed criminals who have openly
combined and confederated to destroy
all competition, and who have
wrenched wrongfully from the Amer
lean people more than fifty millions
per year in profits and who have rob
bed the Government of at least ten
millions OF its revenues justly due the
Government, then what hope has the
American people?
THE operations of the Sugar trust
with the Government and the indict-
ments now pending against the en-
ployees of the trust, demonstrate be-
yond question that those in control
of this combine are criminals and
have been criminals since its organi-
zation. The defense that the, officials
have not been connected with this
underweighing and smuggling against
the Government is not worthy of the
consideration OF any intelligent
man. These employees drawing
small salaries, working for wages,
were directed by those high in au-
thority. The officers of the Sugar
trust were not even willing to make
reasonable divide with the employ
ees who committed there crimes, Civ
ing them each IS per week for steal
ing. while such thefts brought to
them and their associates on an aver
lage OF more than two hundred thou
sand per month.
"lf we are to continue to legislate
millions OF profits into the pockets
OF this class of men at the expense
of the American people, then let us
adopt the sugar schedule provided by
the Finance Committee of the Sem
ate"
The Senator declared that the con-
sumption of sugar I'm the United
States in 1908 was 3,1S5,7S9 tons;
about 81 pounds per capita Nearly
two-thirds came from foreign coun-
tries.
The Sugar trust controls nearly all
the refneries in the United States,
he continued, "and controls the entire
market in this country. The beet and
cane sugar growers are compelled to
take the price fixed by the sugar
trust The total duties on sugar paid
by the American people in 1907 was
$54, ,31O,OS2.
"The average market value of SUI
gar last year was in Hamburg, 2.64;
London, 1922 and in New York, 4.96.
Our sugar consumption, at the Ham
burg price, would have been less, last
year, by S13G,OSO,OOO, OF this vast
amount, the government received
S53 100000 in customs revenues and
the balance OF $33 OSO, 900, went to the
sugar trust. During the last II
years the American people have paid
TO the government sugar taxes ag-
gregating SGOO,OO0,OOO. In the same
time they have paid TO the sugar
trust profits to the amount of $780,
100000. If raw and refined sugar
were admitted free to this country,
the cost to the consumer would be
reduced nearly one-half
"The Senate Finance Committee
has granted the trust all the favors
desired without a hearing and so has
the Ways and Means Committee or
the House. We We're called in spe-
cial session TO make a substantial
revision OF the tariff and here is one
item that costs the American people
nearly $2OO,OOO,OOO a year and there
has not been given TO this item the
slightest attention.
Such a revision OF the tariff is n
sham and a humbug
Discussing the tariff bill in gem
eral, and Senator Aldrich, Chairman