The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-01-25
SUGAR TARIFF HEARING,


\ isiana Cane Sugar Producers, Be
fore Ways ana Means Commit
tee at Washington.
lie following excerpts from the ar
guments of Hon. R. E. Milling, Whe
appeared before the ways and means
committee of the house of represent
atlyes at Washington on Wednesday
of last week in behalf Of the cane
sugar producers of Louisiana, are
taken from the columns of: the
New Orleans Times-Democrat, whose
Washington correspondent transmit
ted to his paper quite a lengthy te1e,
graphic report of the hearing:
Mr.. Milling accepted the implied
challenge contained in the declara.
tlons of members of the committee
That they would not listen to argu-
ments other than those which would
tend to show them their bills OF. last
spring were not framed in accord
ance with Democratic principles. He
said he would discuss it from no
other point of view.
Every man in Louisiana who voted
Tor Wilson read the platform prom
ise to revise the tariff so as not to
1njure or destroy legitimate industry,
as promise to allow the people of
Louisiana to continue in a business
In which many of them are engaged
because they don't know any other"
the speaker declared.
He laid it down as conclusive that.
II the early day Democratic leaders
ever imposed duty for revenue or
for the encouragement of sugar pro-
duction, that if the tax is distri-
buted SO that each citizen pays a
share proportioned to his ability to
pay and the duty yields revenue, then
1t is according to Democratic doc
trine to impose duty. If the pro-
posed imposition fails in any one of
the particulars, Or if the Industry is
not legitimate, then there is no obli-
cation on the committee to do any-
thing other than report the free trade.
bill again.
It was easy for hia TO prove there
IS long line Of precedents made by
eFery Democratic presiitI MT Il IN Jeff
ferson downward upon which the
members Of the committee can rely
to justify the maintenance of a, duty
that will yield a maximum of revenue
without regard to the arguments Of
those who are for protection for pro-
tectlon's sake. On that head he
said: Democratic government. if
We understand it, as enuneiated by
Thomas Jefferson, is that every citf-
zen is a sovereign and every citizen
must bear his just proportion of gov
ernment. He must pay his proper
ton OF taxes according to his ability
or wealth in time Of peace and in 4
time of war. He. must support his
government by all the strength and
courage of his manhood; therefore.
II imposing taxes upon the citizens
when that imposition is not an ad
Falorem or specific tax upon the
Of the particular individual,
or an income tax, or some variety Of
tax that meets the citizen directly,
Dut is an Indirect tax such as an inn
port duty upon foreign made article
shipped to the United States, then
we announce as d correct principle
they should be articles which will
placed upon the dutiab1e list, that
they should be articles which will
yield the greatest amount of revenue
Ind Whereon the payment of the tax
will be distributed more
evenly among the citizens Of the ma
ion upon the basis. of the ability Of
. oh fn ioT< Il,
head the list as a preference article
1pon which a tariff should be
Therefore, we announce the fol
owing as correct rules to be applied
n determining the question of wheth-
It an article should be placed upon
he dutiable list:
I. Is the article regarded as a
roper object of taxation under a
Democratic government?
2. Is it maximum revenue pro-
Iucer?
50 Would the burden thus i'm
'osed be evenly divided upon the
itIzens Of the United States in pro-
'ortion to the ability Of each to pay?
4. Would the tax thus imposed
ave. the effect of benefitting or in
tHing the persons engaged in pro-
-ucing or manufacturing the particu-
ar commodity upon which the i'm
'osition is Ievied?''
Application Of the tests prescribed
y Mr. Milling for the guidance of
he committee was made impossible
Il the order that Mr. Milling intend
d, because Burton Harrison, Of New
rork, suggested that his interpreta-
ion of the woEaHlegitimate was not
he correct one. The Louisiana man
aterpreted it as having the ordinary
ignification; that is, he took the
sord to mean that If the production
T sugar was by a trust or combina-
ion, it would moi. be a legitimate in
ustry worthy Of consideration by the
Democratic party.
IT think the word means il the
adustry is found upon sound
conon1ie basis,n said Mr.. Harrison,
that is, is it possible to produce su
ar in the United States at. a price