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Show H Supar Producers' ScareTAcquisition H or Annexation. H Editor Louisiana Plan tor: It will be H Been by reading the following excerpt M from the Gcnnnntown Telegraph, a H standard agricultural journal in close m touch with tho administration, tho data K of which is peenred from the United H States Agricultural Department thai the H annexltntldn of Cuba 01 tho Philippine H islands would be tho hardet blow to H cano and beet sugar industries in tho B "United States that tho government H conld posaibly strike, and would result H in destroying theso home industries-. H We quote from tho Telegraph as follows : H Tile question as to the disposition H -which ig to be inado of the Philippine H Islands, which wo now hold,-and of H Cuba and Porto Rico, 'which wo soon H -will hold, is one that is being much dis- m cussed here, and is ono which is of n0 H little interest to tho producers of this H country. A largo number of newspapers H of'tho country and many' statesmen H here aro' asserting tiiat wo should H permanently occupy those territories as B parts pfthe United States. "We have H -won thoPlTilippinesfajriyin war, they H say, and wo eh'ould roiain tiiem as H American territory, H ,,' 'It iB further stated by thoHO claiming H to represent a fnrSiighted policy that H tho timo has arrived when this country H shall emcrgo from the shroud in which H it has porBisteutly and consistently cn- H veloped itself sinco tho establishment of H " tho government and tako Us placo with B other powers of tho world in holding for- H eign possessions. Wo should retain, H they say, tho Philippine Islands; the B ' interest of tho United Statos demand it. H Wo aro endeavoring to extend our H foreign trade ; to widen our markets B abroad ; to search out new fields for the H products of Amerlcau farm and fai: H tories. To do this wo must havo a largo H merchant marine; to protect this H merchant marine wo must havo a largo H .and well-equipped navy ; $o maintain H .this.uavy wo must have' possessions jn H ' romoto parts of tho globe na bases for H supplies and coaling stations. H Much of the same claim is made by H this class of people with roferonco to B Cuba and Porto Itico. They will soon H become ours by right of conquest, and H will be takon to satisfy tho cost of the B war brought about tluough Spain's H cruelty, corruptness, and incompetency H to govern. Granting this to bo the case B ' then, for the sako of argument, ourre- H tabling possession of cither of tho B Philippine islands, or Cuba, and Porto B Rico, what would bo tho result to agri- B culturo in this country? B Consider Cuba first, sho is nearest to B our doors. In the first place Cuba can B raiao enough sugar to supply tho United B States with its population twice as B great as at present, and with free sugar B from Cuba our beet sugar industry B would bo knocked into a cocked hat. B Not a beet sugar factory in tho United B States could do business. Gugar, it is B stated at tho Agricultural Department, B can be raised in Cuba for one cent a m pound and at a profit, and when planters B , , there can got two cents a pound for sugar m laid down on ship board, they can amass M . quick fortunes. The Poil of tho island is B wonderfully fertile, and six or seven tons B of sugar it is authentically stated, can B be nroduced from one acre. This low B cost of pioAuction isdno largqly also to B cheap labor, composed chiefly of blacks H Who work for very low wages, who are H jnsily satisfied and havo few wants. All B .. .tropicaljand semi-tropical fruits which H . tare now grown hi Florida and Southern H California at a profit can bo produced H rsomiiuh moro easily nnd cheaper in H vOuba, with the improved methods which H' mvUI bo introduced there, that growers H j,i this country would either go out of H business or migrate to Cuba. Louisiana B .Planter. |