Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-12
Sugar Men AlIege Presiden,
Said They Had Moth
ing to Fear.
ADMIT FORMING A LOBBY
Have Carried on Campaigns 4
Create 'Back FIRES and
Influence Members of
Congress.

Washington, June 11.-Investigation Of
the sugar lobby" by the Senate lobb,
committee to-day was to a marked extent
Il controversy over whether President
Wilson had given the sugar producers
reason to believe they would have no
thing to fear" from free sugar under his
administration.
Out Of the days testimony, in which
Louisiana and Hawaiian witnesses re-
peatedly declared they had not received
fair treatment from the President ami
had been mlsled by others as to his
purpose, the committee succeeded in
drawing what are believed to be some
of the most important facts thus far
developed. Some Of the sugar men frank
~ admitted that they constituted a
lobby" although they objected to the
charge that any of their actions had
been 'insidious" or in any way illegiti.
mate or under1handed They admtte:
that competitive campaigns had been or
sanized and carried out to create back
fires" on senators and representatives
from their own States. in the hope Of
winning their support TO the anti-free
sugar side.
"The prosperity of Louisiana was at
stake" said Jules GodchauX, q sugar
planter. we tried to get tho people
we did business with to write to SEN
ators and representatives,, telling them
that free sugar would destroy the
business of the state We asked them
to write and wire to Washington, and
to ask the merchants they did bust
ness with throughout the Unitei States
to do the same. We tried to estab-
lish an endless chain of letters AMI
kilograms, to draw the attention of
Congress to our arguments
John f Hamburg of New York.
manager for a large Hawaiian sugar
firm. admitted that his firm had urged
all of it's 1900 or more customers to
write to senators and representatives
pointing out the destruction to bust
ness that would follow free sugar.
Plainly resentful of the Presidents re-
cent statements to the operation of
an "insdious lobby" in Washington, the
Louisiana and Hawaiian sugar men en-
liveped the hearings with frequent at
tempts to tell of the pledges they be-
lieved they had received that sugar would
not be made entirely free. Jules God
chaux and E. f. Dickinson, the two
Louisiana witnesses, declared they had
tried IN vain to see the President and
had been Informed that he had all the
Information he wanted on the sugar
tariff
Mr.. Dickinson declared the President
had never talked with any practical
sugar man" about the Louisiana situa-
ton, and that he had secured most OF
his information from National Commit
teeman Robert Ewing, a newspaper man
Colonel Wexler. banker, Representative
Broussard and Senators Ransdell and
Thornton.
II have never seen Mr.. Wilson on tho
sugar subject" interrupted Senator
Thornton.
Charges of the sugar men that they
had been given assurances of the Presi.
dents sympathy on the sugar question
were based on statements Representative
Broussard had made to the witnesses
after visit to President-elect Wilson al
Sea Girt
II was assured by Mr.. Broussard,' saic
Harry Irwin. representing the Hilo, Ha'
wall board Of trade, that plan en-
dors!ng a tariff reduction such as woult
not destroy any legitimate industry wa.
prepared in Mr. Wilson'S presence and
sanctioned by Mr.. Wilson with direct
reference TO the sugar situation"
The committee had not finished with TN
anci-free sugar witnesses when It I'D.
jourDeG tonight