Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-04-05
NO CHANGE IN THE STATES.
new orleans Daily States,

ings of South Louisiana's favored
few" because we characterized the
course of Mr.. Underwood and his
colleagues in the matter Of the free
sugar bill as "undemocratic in the
extreme.
In the opinion of The Reporter
the present sugar tariff is simply
vicious and wholesale robbery, an
unlawful, unrighteous and iniquit-
Gus taking of money from the
masses and turning it over to the
classes, just the same as in any
other case where a protective tariff
is imposed. T"
We cannot agree with either OF
these propositions. The States has
not fallen a victim to any favored
few nor has it changed in the
slightest degree the views it has
held with respect to sugar from the
time it was established thirty-two
years ago by the late Major Hear
sey until now.
The bill of the Underwood COM
nittee, brutally driven through the
caucus and House, IS "undemocrat-
ic in the extreme"
Except for the four years under
the Harrison administration, when
a bounty was substituted, both par
ties have for more than hundred
years maintained the sugar tariff,
because it was an ideal revenue
producer; and if it had not been
for that fact at least the Republi-
cans would long since have put it
on the free list, for they have never
shown any very tender concern for
Louisiana interests.
No one has ever maintained that,
from the standpoint OF the sound
ness of their tariff views, the Dem
ocratic party has had greater lead
ers than William r. Morrison OF
John G.. Carlisle. Both Of them
singled out sugar as one OF the
articles on which the Democratic
party must lay a tariff for revenue
purposes.
Aside from that, however, no one
has any right to go outside Of the
Denver platform for the Democrat
ic policy. 1t is the last expression
we have had.on the subject. 1t vii
stand until the Baltimore Conyen
ton has changed it.
/ That platform declared for grad
ual reduction Of the tariff duties
| When, therefore, Mr.. Under
woods committee ignored this in
junction, when he struck only a
sugar, when instead of a reduction
of the duty he wiped it out com
pletely, not because he believed tn
bill would become q Law but becaus
lit would be useful to him in hi
presidential ambitions as a cam
paign cry on the issue Of the higl
cost Of living. he was unquestion
ably guilty of violation of Dem
ocratic policy.
The sugar tariff may be, as Tn
Reporter proclaims, a vicious ant
wholesale robbery Of the masses TO
the benefit of the classes, thougl
at least a suspicion that it ism
arises when we consider that tn
Sugar Trust is apparently anxiou
to see it wiped out. But if it is
how much more vicious is the tart
on wool and steel and what is tn
reason for Mr.. Underwood's tende
! solicitude of the gigantic. industr
: which Mr.. Carnegie declares need
! no protection at all.
ii AS a consistent Democratic news
; paper The States could not oppos
Q a reduction Of the duty on sugar
/ if along with it went a reduction
, Of other protected articles produce
! in the North, East and West. Blu
, it would be untrue to all its tradi
tons if it stood by and failed t
: raise a protest against the inexcus
able sectionalism and the flagran
, violation Of the Democratic pledge
> which the action Of the underwood
bill involves.
In that connection we quote from
another North Louisiana newspaper
published in a parish neighbor +
: lax. IU--.Io- DID,. III