Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-05

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means for carrying on the Government
An attempt was made to induce him to call
an extra session without delay, SO that adj
vantage could be taken of the present or
ganization of both houses This, however,
it is understood he has declined to do, per-
haps thinking that the members should
ascertain the views of their constituents
before proceeding to make any more laws.
The session must be regarded generally
as failure, though, as we have shown,
there are compromising considerations.
The people of northern California have GER
tainly some ground for congratulatlng
themselves upon the defeat of the desper-
ate attempt to deprive them of protection
against the flow of debris. They have Sc.
| cured the continuance of the present law
for two years longer, and it is to be hoped
that before that time expires the beneficial
effects of the remedies applied will have
been so clearly demonstrated that the
present unreasoning and mistaken preiu-
dice which exists in some parts of the
State will have been removed.
THE QUESTION OF ADULTERAT ALTON.
We have been examining House report
on the adulteration of food, which affords
matter for serious reflection A commit
tee of the House was some time ago called
upon to inquire into bill authorizing
commission on adulteration, and it is the
report of this committee ION Epidemic
Diseases) which is before u.s. Their in
quiries have been little more than superb
cial, but they have found the evidence so
abundant that the real embarrassment was
how to select from it, The proofs of adul-
teration brought to their attention were
such as not only to compel conviction, but
to literally appal the investigators. The
extent to which poisonous adulteration ap-
pears to be carried on in the United States
is such that it would hardly be an exag-
geration to say that murder had become one
of the commonest incidents of trade and
manufacture. Nothing can be more horrible
than the cold indifference to consequences
with which manufacturers of all kinds ap-
pear to employ deadly and noxious materi-
ais. The reign of the Almighty Dollar was
never depicted in such hideous colors
before. We are forced to conclude that
there are in this country thousands upon
thousands of men who are perfectly willing
to spread death and disease broadcast over
the community if in so doing they can make
little larger profit. Swindling, cheating,
substituting bad and sham for good and
genuine materials, are methods so usual as
to be almost the rule. Authorizations enter
into almost everything that is eaten, that
is drank, that is worn, that is used. And
disease and death go hand-in-hand with
adulteration everywhere.
Our children are poisoned by the dye
stuffs used upon their dresses, and their
stockings. The candy they eat is poisoned.
The papers which we put upon our walls
are poisoned. The cards which we use in
visiting or for social purposes are poisoned.
The artificial flowers our wives and daugh-
tiers employ are poisoned. The bread we
eat is poisoned. The baking powders, of
which some two hundred kinds are on the
market, are nearly all poisonous. The
pickles which we put upon our tables are
deadly. Our coffee, our tea, our sugar,
our butter and cheese, all our canned goods,
are poisoned. Our candles, our oils, the
cosmetics our women use SO freely, are full
of danger. The toys, the puzzles, the
block maps, which we put in the hands of
our children, may carry destruction with
them. And as for the medicines with
which disease is to be warded off, there is
scarcely genuine drug to be had anywhere.
In short dishonesty, recklessnesss, and
greed which is very literally murderous,
appears to have taken possession of this
country There is no reason to suppose
that adulteration is worse with US than it
would be with any other people under SIM
liar circumstances. Twenty years ago DR..
Hassall showed that it was almost as bad
in England. But in Europe they have had
the sense to invoke the law for the protec-
ton of the people, and as result they nave
brought adulteration to minimum. There
is no doubt about our ability to do the same
here, if only we can procure the necessary
legislation. To put down adulteration
effectually it is evident that the action
taken must be national, however, for it is
plain that the States cannot separately de-
fend themselves against such evils.
And there can be no doubt as to the ur-
gency of the situation. The extent to
which authorizations swell the bills of NOR
tality has yet to be demonstrated, but
when we consider the profuseness with
which the deadliest poisons are employed
in manufactures, it is impossible not to be.
lieve that the loss Of life from this cause
must be very great. Take the article of
milk alone. Upon this five millions of
children are more or less dependent con-
tinually, yet it is declared that in nearly
all our large cities adulterated milk is
Every nearly the rule, and the pure article
"the exception" The recklessness of man
ufacturers has even been carried so far as
to affect cooking vessels, new kind of
which articles devised short time ago was
found to be made of peculiarly poisonous
material. In fact the agencies of disease
may be said to surround US, and when the
question is between using a cheap poison