The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-10-28
GREAT DEMOCRATIC CRIME

One OF the plainest object lessons of
Tie destructive character of the I'm
derwoOd-Simmons tarin bill. which
was constructed for the purpose OF
reducing the high cost of living. is he
effect Il had on the sugar production
of this country. The reason the Re.
publican party protected this indus.
Try was TO make this country irde-
pendent OF foreign producers, and at
the same time maintain the American
standard OF wages for employees en-
ssSed IN sugar makins. and prosper
the American farmer in beet growing.
Why was this necessary? The Ameri-
can plants were as good as the best
European plsnts-better than the av-
craze because they were larger and
more modern. but they could not sue.
cessfully compete with cheap foreign
labor. Here is the comparison taken
from the oficial records.
IN 1914 our average factory wage was
800 per day az compared with the
European average OF sar cents Der osv
Our average earnings Of field hands was
mhNimum 81 o. ccnta and minimum of
80 cents per uay. The bcets In Euror..
81 fi4lcd better than they are in IN.
hitcd states. hence yiciu more sugar
per ton. but the bsctS cost the fact0rir.
fnocn less per ton there than they do
here. In fHfg-rafg 100 hounds 80 -,
tfactabis raw sugar in the bectr. before
being Sliced b. the factory. cost ~,
~ INC nircd states 81 81 in Germany
80 IN France. and $40 in Holland
When the Dingiey bill was passed.
IN lSS7, six struggling beet sugar fac
tories were operating in the United
states. producing 10000 tons Of sugar
year. The Dingley bill provided q
duty Of S1.GSis per hundred pounds OF
PC sugar. and. due TO this duty and
10 the exploitation OF the industry BY
the United States Department of Az.
riculture. capitalists who had not even
seen sugar beet soon were attracted
10 this new field Tor investment. FAC.
tories costing from a half million TO
million dolls:s sprang up almost
over night A many a. fourteen huge
plants were erected In single sea
son In 1908 the United states DE.
Dartment Of Agriculture issued a bul.
'eun In which was given the location
and details concerning Sc projected
new beet sugar plants. which were
70 be- erected In nineteen States Al n
cost Of 5000 900. with combined
producing capacity Of approximately
100000 tons Of SUGAR a year n %
Feared az though We soon would pro.
duce A. home All the sugar We con.
sumed. and thus distribute among our
cwn people The 500 600 600 = wear
which We were sending abroad for the
purchase Of sugar
Tho industry continued 10 grow and
thrive under the Republican protec.
tive iarin until In 1918 the American
beet SUGAR factories employed % 900
men during the campaign. distributed
over s3O000.O0O among 10000 farmers
IN payment for The bects used. pro.
duoed 100000 tons o. sugar ready for
ne table. and marketed BE- from the
Pacihc to the Atlantic COASTS All vas
foins along swimineiy. and n we'll
enough bad been iet alone. in a few
years We could have been in posi-
ZION 10 have deded such a calamity a.
The European war But the Democrat
BE- party accidentally slipped into
power. and bon conspiracy aIh che
Ereat sugar refining Interests prae
tioaliy destroyed this zreat American
Industry How Tho present con
gfsss. proclaimed b. the President ss
tho "greatest constructive body that
ever convened In washington. while
reducing other import duties on aver
acc ~ bur % per cent. voted to re.
duce the import duty on sugar % per.