Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-04-09
LETTERS FROM THE lPEOPLE
THE ONION TARIFF.

ers' Association which / am requested
to forward to our senators in Washing
ton protesting against the removal of
duty on onions. The letter states that
the industry in Texas which has reached
huge proportions will be absolutely de
stroycd by competition from Mexico.
Egypt and other countries by reason Of
cheap labor and cheap land. | thor
oughly agree with the gentlemen that
the growing of onions will be a thing of
the past if they are admitted free. Who
will be benefited by this removal of
duty? There would be some excuse for
this free trade if the consumer was benc-
fitted, but will this be the case? Aus
tralia. South Africa and South America
will be able to ship their onions here to
compete with the other parts of the
United States. | I'm a democrat and
agree that the tariff should be rcmodeled
i'm many ways. and | believe that the
party should reduce it in such a way that
no industry should be destroyed ana that
no injustice should be done TO any class
or section.
Why should the sheep industry, the
sugar industry and the truck and fruit
industry be singled out for slaughter?
repeat that if the reduction of the
duty ON these products of the farm
would reduce the cost of living then
there would be some justification for the
destruction of home industries. | am a
farmer here in the Valley. but | do not
-, .;tbn, ONION. ~. -,o, Int ,nx
neighbors do and | am speaking as 4
democrat for the general good Of the
country and for the good of the party
as | see 1t.
The onion industry has been built up
at great expense in time and money and
congress has the power, if not the right,
to utterly destroy il and impOycriShi 4
few thousand good people here in Texas
if it will be for the public good. The
people throughout the lane want fresh,
new onions, and they want them cheap.
New Bermuda onions are being rctailcd
at ten cents per pound in the Northern
cities. but the farmer gets only about
two cents and is glad to oct that. The
retailers and the middlcmcn oct the most
of it. When We import onions from
Mexico and the rest Of the world Will
if not be the same. Who will be benc-
fitted?
About The only things that the South
and the West had to protect was cattle,
hides, wool and sugar. When the duty
on hides was removed. the price Of
leather Immediately went up though the
value Of every head Of cattle in the
United States was reduced one dollar.
The generosity Of Southern democrats
in congress is certainly touching. When
the party came into power under Clcvc-
land they removed the duty on sugar and
wool. Texas at that time had more than
six million head Of sheep. Thousands of
our shccpmcn were utterly ruined. To
day our shecpmcn are Just beginning TO
recoverc from that legislation. They
have purchased new flockS Of improved
sheep at great expense. and the whole
number of sheep i'll the state today pen.
haps does not number more than Il third
of what if did before the passage of the
Wilson bill.
The sugar industry was Just recover
ing from the effects Of the civil war. The
sugar growers of Louisiana and Texas
had installed expensive machinery much
of which was bought on credit. The
beet sugar industry had lust been in
augurated in the West. Ii is safe to say
that the sugar industry was put back
twenty years at least. \ sop was finally
thrown to the growers III the form Of 4
bounty. but it was 50 ycXatiouS in Is
application that il was Of little or no
benefit. The farmers and the rauchmcn
are in the minority everywhere. hence
they have no political value. The
iniquiticS Of the Wilson bill put the
democratic party out of power for
twenty years. The United States i'm
ported in 1911 more than &06000.000 Of
raw sugar. Would it not he wise TO f0S-
ter an industry that bids fair to supply
home consumption in a few wears and re
tain all that money M home. All Europe
with the exception Of England supply
themselves wholly with beet sugar. and
Germany. France. Italy and Russia are
exporters of sugar. This industry has
been developed during the last fifty
years. This was brought about by the
placing of a very high duty on imported
sugar. Germany not only protected her
sugar industry against importationS but
she gave Il bounty on expectations. What
was good craftsmanship for Germany
should be good for any country. The
tariff will not remain settled till il is
49,