Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-03
A HOME QUESTION.

One of the rocks on which President
Grover Cleveland's popularity with the
democratic party was shattered was his
advocacy of free raw materials. Totthe
mass of consumers the free raw material
theory may be made to appeal. People
like that catch phrase the free break
fast table" If, however, it were put
plainly before the masses Of the people
that, in order TO save half a cent a
pound on the comparatively small
amount of sugar per capita consumed
by them, the sugar growing industry in
twenty-five states of the Union must be
ruined, causing the loss Of many millions
that are invested in the sugar industry
in this country, the majority of them
undoubtedly would oppose the proposed
reduction in the tariff on that commo-
dity.
The idea that a reduction of a cent
per pound in the sugar tariff will give
us sugar a cent per pound cheaper is be
ing cultivated industriously by the adyel
Gates of the measure. But when it is
r~ealizee that more than half-or - per
cent, to be exact-Of the sugar consumed
in the United States is free Of duty, be
ing either of home production or import
ed from Hawaii and the Philippines, it
is seen that this reduction in the tariff
will apply to less than half of the sugar
sold i'll this country, and hence, the re-
ductiOn in the price of sugar resulting
from the lower tariff must approximate
less than half a cent per pound.
Meanwhile, the proposed reduction in
the sugar tariff would wipe ont some
thing like $4,000, 900 of Uncle Sans
revenue This will have to be made up
on some other article of import, and the
masses of the consumers will pay the
freight" as usual. Thus. while the gov
eminent would lose a cent per pound on
sugar imports, the people would save
only half "A cent or less per pound, and
at the same time be under the necessity
of making up the governments loss bv 4
tariff on some OtneI article OF commerce.
The truth is, the movement for a lower
sugar tariff comes. not from the people,
but from the sugar r~efinerS. There is
absolutely no popular clamOr for the
sugar tariff reduction. The people do
not wish to see the sugar industry of
twenty-five states DESTROYED. But the
sugar trust does wish it. The trust wants
Cuba's sugar brought in duty free, that
it may make the greater profit on refined
sugar.
These facts and other very important
data on the sugar tariff question are made
very plain W. a letter which is being sent
out by the Rio Grande Valley Cane Grow
ers' Association to all members Of the
Texas delegation III congress, with a
view to placing the claims of the sugar
producers before them.
That the proposed reduction in the sugar
tariff would be disastrous to the sugar
interests of Texas is plainly evident. All
who are interested in the industry
should read this letter, which is copied
elsewhere in this issue of The Herald,
and then should write to our representa-
tive in congress or any other represen-
tative with whom they may be in touch,
and endeavor TO enlist their aid in check
in the proposed raid on the home sugar
growing industry.
This matter very closely concerns
every land owner in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, and every business man
in every town Of the valley. All should
read the Sugar Growers letter and Ell
deavOr to assist their cause.
The sugar growers are only one class
of the country's producers who are
threatened by the free raw material fal-
lacy. The wool growers and hide pro
ducers are likewise liable to be victim
lied, while the manufacturers of refined
sugar, wooden and leather goods will be
the ones to profit by the removal of the
tariff on the raw materials used i'll their
factories. These producing classes
should make common cause against the
danger which threatens their industries,
and endeavor to convince our lawmakers
that. so long as we must have a tariff, to
provide the hundreds of millions neces-