The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-08-07
Quinine.


There is a rumor afoat that certain
parties have conspired to corner the qul-
nine market, and put up the price 70
about double what it was before the duty
was repealed. 1t is asserted that this
game was impracticable before the repeal
of the duty, because those patrlotlc ana
benevolent gentlemen, Powers O weight
man, wouldn't play it themselves nor per-
NIT anybody else to play it. They kept
years supply on hand, wherewlth to
break any corner that might be attempt |
ed, and refused to sell to dealers more
than they needed to meet the demands OF
their customers. Thus the shaking por
ton of the public were indebted to this
high minded, conscientious and humane
firm for protection against the Wlles OF
the wicked dealers who were lay
ing for chance to run corners and ROB
tie sick. But now that anybody can I'M
port quinine duty free we are told that
Powers & Weightman can no longer pro-
tect the public. The rascally dealers can
buy all the imported quinine. and all the
home made quinine, aud practice extortion
upon the sick. People are expected to
infer that the way to make corners impos :
sible is to restore the duty on quinine.
Powers & Weightman must be paid for
their services as guardians OF the public
interest.
| 1t isnot easy to understand why it is
easier to run corner on qulnlne now than
it was before the duty was removed. Then
foreign outline could not be had, SNUG
Cling aside, without paying the duty. Now
lit is TO be had free. Why, then, should
it not be more difficult to corner the drug
now than it was when the duty existed
It is admitted that the public was former
, ly indebted wholly to the one Philadelphia
firm for protection; that with the consent
of that firm the market might have been
: cornered at any time. Why is not the
J public better protected now that it il
not at the mercy of a single firm, but
can buy quinine wherever it is made
The only explanation is that Powers (
Weightman proposes to run the corner Il
) punish congress for repeating the duty
, OF course they will not be known ia III,
business if they can help it, as their OBJ
. iect is to get the duty reenacted if the,
: can, and they might not prosper in tina
9 enterprise if they were known to be corn
! erning the market. Their game is t
g make congress and the public believe tina
q. duty is necessary for the protection no
d of Powers Il Weightman, but of consum
q ers, and in playing that game it is impor
9 taut to cover their tracks
It is also asserted that foreign quinine i
dearer as we'll as poorer than tae home
/ made article; that even when gold was a
: a premium our quinine was sold cheape
4 for currency than foreign quinine brough
in gold in Europe, That assertion, if
Is proves anything, proves only that no dut
e is necessary for the protection of Power
q & Weightman. IT they have all alon
~ been selling their quinine cheaper tina
foreign QuiUine can be sold duty free, the
le do not need any duty But the assertio
J. is wholly inconsistent with the declaratio
IS Of Powers & Weightman, made shortl
" after the repeal Of the duty, that the
:, would be compelled to stop manufactur
IL ing, and would do so as soon as their stoc
a. of material was exhausted.
S. Very likely the market gili be corner
IL ed, and cornered at such time as to prt
- duco the greatest effect upon congress
10 But congress should not be Influenced j
10 the least The corner will be broken whe
OF the conspirators get tired of holding the
stocks, and then we shall have an oppol
unity to get our quinine for what it
worth, and to find out whether the col
I spirators are right In saying that Amer
a can Quinine can be sold cheaper than fo
III eiRn. duty free, or whether Powers
Weightman are right in saying that the
cannot sell in competition with free gu
nine from abroad.