The daily sentinel., 1913-06-28
SUGAR LOBBY LEAVES A TRAIL
OF CORRUPTION, SAYS HEATING
Sloy OF Expenditures OF Hundreds Of Thousands Show nsd
IOus Danger Of Trusts Representatives In the
National Capital.

lBy Edward Keating. CONGRESSMAN
at Large from Colorado.
Washington. June 2S.-The sugar
Lobby is the most insidious and the
most dangerous organization ever
formed In the country for the pur-
pose of influencing legislation. This
statement is sustained by the testi-
mony wrung from unwilling Witness
es by the senate committee entrusted
with the duty of probing President
Wilson's charge that a powerful lob
by was endeavoring TO defeat the I'm
derwood tariff bill.
OF course, no lobby in the history
OF the country ever fought for so big
a prize.
As has been repeatedly pointed out
IN these letters. the sugar tariff en-
abled the sugar trust to add from / y
TO 2 cents to the price of every pound
of sugar consumed in this country.
This meant an increase in the ma
tion's sugar bill OF s1i5,0O0, 900 to
$l25, 100000 year. or this sum,
100000 went TO Uncle Sam, and
from $63.000,O00 to S73,00O.OOO a
year went to the trust.
Is 1t any wonder that Sugar Mag
nate oxnard declared that he thought
S750,000 "a very small sum" to ex-
pend in an attempt to defeat the Gu
ban reciprocity bin, or that. when
questioned concerning his expendit-
ures in another sugar campaign, he
was unable to recall whether he had
spent S234, 900 or twice that sum
What were hundreds of thousands
OF dollars to these men who were
playing for millions
II is impossible within the limits
oil this letter to give an adequate syn
opsis the amazing testimony present
ed TO the senate investigating COM
mittee. | am determined, however,
that the facts shall be placed in the
hands of the people of Colorado, and.
after the committee completes its la
bors ! will see that abstracts of the
evidence are scattered broadcast over
the state.
CuTupting the Press.
To my mind, the most important
fact developed was the sugar trust's )
attempt to buy up the press of the
United States. OXnard brazenly de-
clared that they subsidized every
paper they could reach" and letters
seized by order OF the committee in
dicated that an attempt was made
to color the reports sent out from
Washington by the Associated Press
1t was further demonstrated that
this effort to corrupt the press was
no new thing-it was craftily ex-
ecuted scheme extending over num-
Der OF years.
In spending its money the trust
disregarded political affiliations. 1t
paid democratic editors as readily
and as generously as it did republic
can or progressive editors. So far as
Colorado is concerned. its work
among the democratic editors must
have been distinctly disappointing,
fer | know of only three or four So
called democratic papers which have
been even wobbled on this issue.
1t is quite different with the re-
publican papers of the state. Most
Of them are printing matter supplied
by Truman G. Palmer" and other
sugar trust press agents, and | pre-
sumo they are receiving for the ser
vice at least as high rate as they
would charge the ordinary advertiser
for pure reading" notices.
1t Is only right that the men and
women who read these subsidized pa
pcrs should know the truth-should
know that the editors have bnrtered
their honor for the sugar trusts dir
ty dollars.
Separate Goats From Sheep.
The New York World suggested
the other day that the senate COM
mittee make an effort to secure q
complete list of the papers which had
heen reached by the sugar agents.
The World argued that II was un-
fair to have this insufferable stigma
attach to all newspapers, and that
the goats should be separated from
the sheep.
Unfortunately this seems to be i'm