Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-04-28
Senator Capper Urges Embar.
go Be Put on Sugar.


raid" Senator Arthur Sapper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, on the floor Of
the senate today urged the govern
ment to declare an embargo on su-
gar, confscate all sugar stores and
distribute them at cost to the public.
In one of the most sweeping indict
ments of profteering ever heard in
the senate, Senator Capper declared
the American colonists went to war
with George III for lesser outrages
than are now being perpetrated and
said Capt. Kidd lapsed into Sunday
school character by comparison
with present-day "proft hogs"
The poor are actually being de-
prived of healthful foods by profit
eering in sugar which prevents them
putting up vegetables and fruits
necessady to a wholesome diet, Sen
ator Capper said.
He paid his respects to those who
are urging payment of soldier bonus
es by sales tax, which he declared
would be levied at the demand of
proilteers on men, women and chill
dren, including the ex-service men
themselves. He came out flatly for
taxing war profits.
Profteeriug General.
In addition to profteering in sugar
Senator Capper declared it existed in
equally vicious form in cotton and
cotton goods, oil, lumber, meats,
foodstuffs and tobacco, "the poor
mans luxury" He continued:
"For years the sugar interests
have annually and shamelessly and
openly robbed the American house
wives during the canning season.
They have, with their extortionate
charges, as regularly blighted the
poor family's only hope of putting
up and storing away cheap and
wholesome supply of fruits and veg
etables for winter. Every principle
of healthful living demands just
these things in the family diet. But
the sugar trust is allowed to prey on
the health and the welfare eff this
nation every year in the canning sea-
son that it may enrich itself further
by profits running high in the hum
dreds of millions. The people are
helpless; there is no real substitute
for sugar. 1t is piracy so colossal and
so criminal that Capt. Kidd and all
the famous pirates of history become
Sunday school characters by compar-
ison. How long is this government
going to stand for it.
Predict Thirty-Cent Sugar.
"Sugar spectators blandly predict
sugar will sell at thirty cents or more
pound retail when the canning sea-
sonson opens. Conservative whole
salers say the price to the consumer
will reach or exceed fifty cents a
pound before it closes. One billion
pounds of sugar have recently been
exported from our shores and Great
Britain in addition to the millions of
pounds shipped abroad during recent
weeks or months, says current news
report. This government owes it to
itself and the American people to de-
clare at once an embargo on sugar
and to seize Immediately every stock
of this commodity in the United
States for distribution to the consul
mer at cost, because government
that is sworn to protect its people
permits this robbery and puts no
curb upon it.
Define Americanism.
"It is a time when 100 per cent
Americanism should be Defined"
Capper continued. eff it means to
evade taxes, cheat the government,
and swindle the people, let this be
fairly understood. But it would be
instructive to know just the differ
ence in principle between cheating
the government and putting it in bad
and attempting to overthrow it in
the rude manner of Bolshevists. Both
methods reach the same result; one
is merely more crafty than the other.
We can regulate profits as we regu-
late usury, and in such regulation
provision can be made for maintain
ing a sinking fund for the lean
years. We have laws against profit
eering. If those charged with their
enforcement will see that profit hogs
go to Jail, prices will soon tumble.