Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-27
A Mistaken Friend.

tariff for -reNen0e-O variety, Hon
W. NJ. Osborn. former State senator
writes Judge Peters concerning the
Issues of the campaign. But Senator
Osborn falls into the same error as OF
Old when he was defending The pro-
posed Wilson German bill and also
the finished article that bred 1909 times
the distress and 10000 times the ma
.,tional loss of the American Spanish
: war.
II we remember correctly Mr.. Osborn
in those days was under the conviction
that free wool would not injure the
!. sheep industry of Maine. Now he
says:
The production of wool in Maine has
been decreasing for several years. as II
has III other eastern States, while the
most of our wool is produced in the West
and Southwest
Indeed the production of woodland
OF mutton-HAS been decreasing for
several years'-the same number of
years that have run up since the last
previous free trade folly. The farmers
of Maine have never had the courage
10 go into the sheep raising industry
since. that they had before. The bust
ness injury of those days is felt today.
But what advantage to the urban por-
tons CT Maine Mr.. Osborn can see in
the present tariff bill--to say nothing
OF rural areas more than we can un-
Gerstand. 1t never appears in the
arguments" of defenders of free trade.
Mr. Osborn writes to Mr.. Peters:
DO you expect me to believe that the
South and West want to put sugar and
wool on the free list for their own sell
3 fish interests and to inture the state or
Maineg You ought to know that sugar is
produced in the State of Louisiana to a
larger extent than in any other State.
II is produced TO small extent in some
of the western states, while We produce
none here in Maine.
Knowing Mr.. Osborn so well. we can
not believe that he is wilfully mislead-
ing, but we are convinced that he has
misled himself because of not having
the figures at hand. 1t may enlighten
him somewhat, and certainly leaves
>
his argument a shadow, TO say that the
South produces 904, 900 tons of cane
sugar, while the West and North
produce 535, 900 tons of beet sugar,
nearly twice the amount of the south's
sacrifice.
But the most significant fact in this
SUGAR ouaetian 10 that tho industry ba 9
grown by leaps and bounds in recent
!, years. and soon would have reached
proportions where the price must have
!, been reduced to consumers-had the
sugar trust not secured the death
blow of the beet sugar industry through
the Democratic party.
= There is where the sugar shoe
pinches-the state of Louisiana, the on
ly state producing cane sugar enough to-
ITO be sacrificed to save the sugar trust
millionaires from eventually just
deserts, and 10 save them 0,000, 900
annually in import duties.
Thus the logic of sugar and wool
benefits TO American producer or con-
gunner. looks a bit strained and I'M
natural
So far as the steel industry is con-
cerned, the Third district is not deeply
were, we fail to see the point of our
friends reference. 1t looks like mis-
take on his part.
II may be poor policy to appeal to
! "sectionalism," but ii Is hardly worse
today than it was in the campaign of
!, 1912 when Southern interests and Dem
! ocraey were openly threatening to
! bring the mills of New England into
: the South. Sectionalism does not ap.
: distasteful they may be, we are Obliged
to present them; for where sectional
{. ism can be used for effect it must have
facts on which to be based. Demo
!, cracy has thus brought it down upoI
I its own head.
|. Mr.. Osborn says:
/ TO my mind Il y very poor polite
: TO appeal to sectionalism, to error an,
: to falsehood in discussing the tariff
8 We agree with him to the letter. Blu
I the first is necessary to bringing GU
: the truth; the second is his own posi-
I. ton, and the third can hardly be safel
5 used among gentlemen. We woul
!, never think of mentioning it in con
nection with the statement or an
y nouncemet of convictions, OF eithe
I Mr.. Osborn OF Mr.. Peters We woul
not recommend its use in fair argu
! ment.
e.aeIn conclusion. let US refer to Nj