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Sugar Trust Bluff

Sugar Trust Bluff image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
December
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The action of the sugar trust in closing down its refineries on the eve of the assembling of congress and turning 25,000 employees ou of work, in view of all the facts smacks strongly of a bluff. Happen ings since seem to indícate that the purpose of the move was to inrluence congress and prevent action on the bill removing the differential tax on sugar, carried by the new tariff law in the interest of the trust. According to President Havemeyer, of the trust, this action was taken because during the past three months the refineries had been running at a loss and it was impossible to opérate their refineries under the present tariff at a profit. There are variousevidences that the purpose of this doleful manifestó of Mr. Havemeyer was to frighten the timid millionaire club out of passing the pending sugar bill. Among these evidences are the following: On the ioth of November the superintendent of the refineries said, "We are running in full blast, as the orders for refined sugar are coming in with a rush to such an extent that we are not quite able to fïll all of them. We look forward to continued and increased business." Then the company has not yet been running threc months under the new tariff, and during the time it has been running under the new tariff, it has been engaged in renning raw sugar imported under the McKinley act free of duty. A farther evidence is the fact that the refineries started up again Monday. Again the assertion that the protec tion accorded the trust by the oneeighth of a cent differential is all the protection it receives is not true. There is considerable protection in the 40 per cent. duty levied on all sugars imported. This revenue duty alone gives the trust all the protection it should have. In view of these facts the suggestion of President Cleveland in his message that "if, with all the favor now accorded the sugar relïning interest in our tariff laws, it still languishes tothe extent of closing refineries and discharging thousands of workmen, it would seem to present a hopeless case for reasonable legislative aid" and that under existing aggravations he wouid be glad to see every partiële of differential duty stricken out, is timely and sound. This is what should be done and congress capnot better serve the people than by removing the same. The only probable result of this would be to reduce the swollen profits of this unlawful and odious monopoly. It would be far cheaper for the government to provide for all the needs of all the workmen employed by the trust from the treasury direct than to continue the bonus to the trust. There is not the slightest public reason for showing any favors to this overbearing and insolent monopoly. Acording to Senator Sherman, sugar can be refined here as cheaply as in any other country and Mr. Havemeyer admitted under oath that the organization could make reasonable profits without any protection at all. The only object of the combination has been and is to stifle competition and raise the price of sugar to consumers, to practice extortion in fact, thereby swelling the profits of the refiners. There is no public interest to be subserved fherefore by continuing this bonus to the unlawful, swagging, insolent trust. It would be better for the people and they would get their sugar cheaper should the monopoly go out of existence tomorrow. Congress should help along its deraise. Krother Smithe, of the j cial, waxes eloquent over the alleged atrociues permitted by the Turkish government upon the Armenians and the deafness of President Cleveland to the requests for rernonstrance, and declares that if the constituted governments of Christendom do not give voice to the sentiment of the people in behalf of their fellow Christians of Armenia, the people of Christendom will see that ;t is done. The atrocities alleged are of such a nature as to quicken the blood of anyone with a spark of manity in his make up, but before the government goes into the remonstrance business it would seem to be the part of wisdom to take cognizance of the other side of the issue. The Turkish minister ' at Washington not only denies the stories of the atrocities but in a communication to the New Vork Herald expresses some indignation that the st orles have been so generally accepted in this country as true. In support of his assertions he presents an official telegram which purports to give the correct account of the happenings. He denies that Turkey ever thought of prosecuting the Armenians, declares that hundreds of them are in the government service and one of them minister to the crown. On the other hand he asserts that there are revolutionary societies among them constantly engaged in plotting against the government, and offers in support of his assertions the testimony of one Cyrus Hamlin, a protestant missionary who has worked among them. In fact the minister makes out a strong defence. In view of all this our government will display wisdom in at least waiting for more information on the subject. It may then be found that a remonstrance is not needed. The talk that various republicans of prominence are inculging in at present to the effect that McKinleyism is dead and the republicans will not revive it and that it never lad the support of one republican n live, etc, is mere llopdoodle. The republican party is the willing tooi of the manufacturers, mili oosses and monopolists, and when it regains control of the presidency arïd.both houses of congress, it can je depended upon, as of yore, to do the bidding of these people. If they then desire the restoration of McKinleyism, that will be the rejublican shibboleth. It is looked upon just now as an expedient thing o admit the truth that the McKiney bill was "too friendly to manuacturers and not ufficiently in the nterest of the people," and that it vas the cause of the overwhelming defeat of the party in j 890 and 1892, jut let no one be deceived on account of these soft words as to the deliberateness of the party in enactng that law and its absolute failure up to the present time to bring forth vorks meet for repentance, on account of having inflicted such an unjust and monopolistic measure ïpon the people. That the party can be depended upon to enact a measure equally or even more proíibitory should it be demanded by he before mentioned favored classes, when the republicans are again in control at Washington, here is no doubt. The republican )arty minus monopolistic and pluocratic ownership is not to be anicipated. The friends of Judge Kinne have already figured the thing out. They have him already nominated and elected to the supreme bench and John Lawrence sitting in 1he Judge's well warmed seat, as circuit judge. Both Judge Kinne and Attorney Lawrence are good men and all that; but aren't their political friends loading up with a heavy expectancy deal ? Of course it might all come around just like that and if republicans so in, next spring - and they do go in, sometimes - the arrangement would suit the Argus for a second choice very well. The sublimity of the slate makers' faith is equal to that of the boy who while tïshing was asked how many he had caught. "Well," replied "bub," "when I ketch this'n that's bitin' and two more, 111 have three. One Reuhen Kolb, claiming to be governor of Alabama, has issued a manifestó to his adherents advising them to disobey the constituted authorities and to refuse, in counties where they have been elected to office, to perform the very duties which they have sworn faithfully to execute. To follow his advice wouid be to plunge the state into a condition of anarchy. The inpropriety, to use no stronger term, of such advice and the danger of such leadership should be apparent to all honest men and law-abiding citizens who may have supported his cause heretofore should not be deceived any farther. They must cut loose from such leadership. Elsevvhere in this issue will be found the president's message to congress, in full. It contains niuch that every well informed citizen will desire to read. It is long, and scarcely up to the president's usual productions; yet it is a strong message, and will compare favorably as a state paper with similar prodm - tions of his predecessors. The mort; important features of the message are the recommendations in favor of monetary reform, free ships, the repeal of the differential tax on sugar, and the duty on coal and iron, and his unmistakable position on the question of maintaining the public credit. The three cornered senatorial fight between Burrows, Olds and Patton waxes warm. It begins 10 look. as though there might be a deadlock in the legislature over the issue. The speakership contest between Gordan of Midland, Wait of Menominee, and Campbell of Lansing, is also becoming just warm enough to be spicy and interesting. The official count of the vote at the recent election in Tennessee has at last been given to the public. It shows that Evans, republican, is elected governor by a plurahty of 841. The unprecedented action of the canvassing board in holding back the result is severely condemned by the leading papers of the state. The claquers of Senator Patton are loudly singing his praises, and say that he is a great orator. Yes, just so. Oratory is what ails the senate. Give us less wind and more wisdom. The official returns on the head of the republican ticket in Illinois gave him a plurality of 133,427.

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News