The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1913-09-06
protecting The Farmer"

congress were urged to flight to the
last ditch" to defeat President Taft's
proposal to admit yearly three hum
bred Thousand tons of raw sugar
duty free from the Philippines.
Do you remember that you We're
assured that Colorado could not COM
pete with the ''pauper labor" of our
island possessions, and that the
passage of the Taft bill would be fol-
lowed by the closing down OF the
Colorado sugar factories. and by the
utter destruction of this great in
dustry?"
Do you remember the redhOt resO-
lutions adopted by the Denver Cham
her OF Chamber protesting against
the Outrage" and the miles of
double loaded editorials printed in
the "sugared" papers picturing Colo
RADIO as 10th century Rachel la
mentiug at the bier of her fairest
and latest child.
OF course, you remember these
things. Who that lived in Colorado
at that time could forget them?
Perhaps you will also recall that
the bill passed and that the factories
did not close, but as our friend Kip
ling would say, that's another
story"
What / started out to tell you was
that the Filipinos no longer menace
CoIorado's beet sugar industry. Here
after it will not be considered good
form to refer to them as ''pauper
laborers.' They are now ''sturdy
American yoeman," and they must
be protected" from the ''demoral-
izing competition of the pauper labor
OF other sugar producing countries"
This amazing metamorphosis is
announced in letter written by M.
Earnshaw, resident commissioner in
Washington from the Philippine
Islands, to Senator G. S. Thomas.
Earnshaw calls on the senator to
help defeat the Underwood bill be-
cause free sugar would pauperize the
Filipinos.
/ recall the speeches of certain
former United State senators from
Colorado on the sugar producing
possibilities of the Philippines. They
were very eloquent and very per
suasive senators, and they called
themselves Democrats, and they
were Democrats - except on the
tariff. On that issue they were will
ing to abandon their party, for they
said even partial free trade with the
Philippines meant the wiping out of
the beet sugar industry in Colorado.
One OF the senators went to the
Islands to Investigate for himself,
and when he returned he announced
that the Filipinos could produce all
the sugar consumed In this country
at one-half the cost of production in
Colorado. Then the Denver Chamber
of Commerce met and gravely adopt
some more resolutions deploring the
outrage" involved in admitting
even three hundred thousand tons of
sugar from the Islands.
Now we have it on the word of the
Filipino commissioner that the elo
quent senator's persuasive speeches,
and the torrid resolutions of the
Chamber of Commerce were merely
fairy tales, and that the Filipino
sugar planters will be ruined if the
United States gives its citizens the
benefit of free sugar.
Evidently the representatives OF
the sugar trust have lost their sense
of humor or they would not have put
the Filipino witness on the stand.
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia,
delivered one of the most effective
speeches delivered in congress dur
ing the tariff debate. The Tory Re-
publicans, Penrose, Smoot and
Gallinger-had been shedding croc-
odiie tears over the sad fate which
awaited the American farmer under
the Underwood bill. That has been
the burden OF their speeches for the
last six weeks, and Smith decided to
break the silence on the Democratic
side long enough to expose them.
He showed that number one north
ern wheat is selling for 951a cents a
bushel in Winnipeg, Canada. and 500
cts. in Minneapolis, MINI. OF course,
we have u tariff on wheat and the
Tories have been assuring the senate
that it's repeal would ruin the farm
ers of Minnesota and the Dakotas,
who would be compelled to compete
with the "pauper labor" of Canada.
Now it appears that the 'pauper
labor" of Canada Is getting more for
its wheat than the protected farm
er" of the United States.
Senator Smith considered the case