The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-04-01
ADULTERATION OF. F0OD. :,
reasoning the People = swindIcs al
enprtncipied Wretches Iinper-
oafve Duty Of Lcgisiators.

PrfhttpteO Wretcnes-Ihe Imper-
aafve Duty Of Legislator.
from the American Trade JournAll % ~ Isl
One OF the growing evils of tic present
day is the adult ration of food. Here
tofore the ingenuity and dishonesty of
certain class of disreputable persons
have been turned to the work of aduter-
atlng various wearing and other materi-
als-suchsss hoddy wooden goods, shoddy
cotton goods (made principally of fulleris
earth and starch), LOADED silks, nrti-
= ficial sole-leather, cast-iron jackknives,
wooden nutmegs, chiccory and rye cof-
fee, and all kinds of adulterated spices,
etc.; but latterly the adulteration OF
articles of food, such as butter and
cheese, sugars, etc, has taken on such
immense proportions that it is likely to
become a national evil as well as q ma
tionm disgrace, unless it is suddenly
checked by the strong hand of the law,
aided by the hearty cooperation of all
honest men. SO long as mems purses
only We're made to suffer, they might
bear the imposition of counterfeit and
adulterated goods with some show of
equanimity, but when their lives are
threatened by counterfeit and adulter-
ated articles of daily food forbearance
ceases to be virtue, and the sooner the
makers and vendors of such goods are
brought to the bar of Justice, and their
neiarlous business put an end TO, the
better 1T will be tor all parties con-
cerned.
Formerly, the work of adulteration
and counterfeiting was carried on in
secret, and the operators took every
precaution against detection. Now the
manufacturers of the vile compounds
known as butterine. oleomargarine, SUI
Inc, etc, take particular pains to adver-
tse the millions of pounds they manu-
facture, and publicly boast that they so
completely counterfeit the genuine arti-
Gle that even an expert cannot detect it.
Large manufactures are deliberately IL
Illustrated and described in the leading
papers of the day, and scientific descrip-
tons of the chemical and mechanical
methods of purifying the disgusting Of
fal OF slaug hter-houses are written ard
printed in scientific journals and the
daily press at dollar line, together
with scientific disquisihons on the in
nocnousness Ct such ingredients when
purified by poisolous and deadly acids.
Thus the people areassured that millions
and even hundreds of millions OF these
articles of food are manufactured and
put upon the market, while 1t is almost
impossible to find pound of the stufis
sold as such. The only conclusion TO
be arrived at is, that they are sold by
the retail grocers, and purchased by the
consumers, il the great majority OF in.
stances, as genuine products OF the
dairy, and at the same price as the gen.
uine article. Thus foul and poisonous
stuffs, costing from ! to 2 cents per
pound, are sold ut 80 to 80 cents per
pound, or whatever the real article may
bring IN the market, and In this inn
mense profit, divided between the pro
Queer and the retailer, we see the strong
inducements offered tor these dishonest
practices. ~
Nor is this crime of adulteration con-
fined to the large cities. 1t is stated
that ON entire soap-stone quarry in one
of the Eastern States is being ground
into a fine, four-like substance by al
enterprising firm, and distributed
throughout the country to farmers, dali
rymen and butter dealers as an adulter-
ant for butter. Thousands upon thou
sands of circulars are sent out to that
class of producers, Offering to furnish
the adulterant at cent per pound, and
assuring them that it can be used to the
extent of %, 80 or even rs per cent in
butter without fear of detection. We
are not aware whether it has been yet
decided by competent medical and sci
entific authority which is the most dead
ly In its effects upon the human system,
this indigestible powdered stone, admin
istered IN real butter, or the acid-im-
pregnated entrail fats OF hogs and cattle,
administered free OF any admixture OF
real butter. Either will undoubtedly
prove fatal to human life sooner or later.
Already numerous new and inexplicable
diseases with which the best physicians
find it impossible to contend have been
added to the list of ills which poor hui
mainly is heir to, and others will I'M
doubtedly follow.
1t is high time that all the powers Of
the law were employed to counterfeit
these nefarious and deadly practices,
and if the presentlaws are notsutiicient to
meet the various cases as they arise, new
laws, more efficient, more summary and
with greater penalties attached, should
be enacted at once.
This business should no longer be al
lowed to flourish. Laws should be
enacted not only to punish those en-
gagged in the sale of the counterfeit and
adulterated food, but to punish the man
ufacturers and seize and confiscate their
factories, just as the dies and plates of
counterfeiters of currency are served,
and the manufacture of the vile stuffs,
under whatever name they may be sold
or put upon the market, may he eradi-
Gated and suppressed.