Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-09
MORE ABOUTTHE OLEOMARaARIxR
FRAUD.
Horrible Revelations-The Truth Not
HnIf TOld-The Law Stiu Set At
Defiance.


H.If Told-The Law stin Set as
Defiance.
To the Editsr Of TIE EVENING STAR:
Three weeks go I called the attsntion Of the
public and the District authorities, through tks
widely circulated columns Of ,rHE DrAR, to the
great oleemarsarine swindls, by which hum
drsds Of tons Of counterfeit butter have been
sold on the market In violation Of law. It 10 no
sxasgeration to sag that over 100 tens Of this
vile compound has been sold on one square Of
this city since the FIRST Of last December.
| have waited patiently for three weeks to see
what action the District government would
| take in the way Of supprsssing this great
wrong, hoping that would be able 30 give our
Commissioners credit for zeal and efficiency In
the endorsements OF the lew. But what haye
the Com missonsrs done9 fastssd Of prompt
himsof as ignorant Of aay such law being in
ever been sold in Waahinston., Another kas
not acted because nobody asked him to-,
while the third member Of the board is tso
much absorbed in figr res to give lis attention
to such small matters.
NARKETDIASTER BUELL. SHARPLY CRITI0ISHD.
The question is finally referred to Market
master Buell., who instead Of gathering evidence
as to the quantity Of oleomargarine sold here,
| in violation Of law, and reporting the fasts to
bis superior officers goes out Of his way to at
tack inferior dairy butter, which, II sold in suoh
| that two wrongs cannot make . right; Who
asked Mr.. Buell. for his opinion on dairy butter?
| Nobody denies but that there i. much butter
made UNIT for use; but such butter always
speaks for itself through the organs Of taste and
| smell, SO that the buyer knows what hs is got
upan to repoq the IN
Mr.. Buell. tells the Commit sslonsrs that oIeonlar
Karins Is more hea!thful than large amount OF
elders from poor dairy butter are offensive due
| to the fact that the farmers have stored their
eaai tho
He then proceeds to cheer up the dealers
| Ia pure butter by assuring them that "thers is
no cause tor alarm, AS olsDmarsarine would IN
| time drive out bad butter" closing with o rec
ommendation u the Commissioners 'that the
Law requiring tho branding OF eli boxes; keSs
forced" Mr. 1usll declares that 0lesmarsa
will "in tsn,e drive out poor buttsr,' thsrssy
trade, When it is generally conceded that If the
| law were enforced, requiring this article to be
sGd by i nae It's sss wsna
Buell. had unconsciously
GIVEN HIMSELF AWAY.
His recommendation to his superior officers
| that they enforce law of Congress Is interest
ing. Congress passes an aat Of vital Importance
to the people Of this District. The Commits
sioners allow the law to sleep for six years, and
then when their attention is called to 1t, instead
| of issuing an order 70 the chief Of police to
| officer that they have appointed in the Center
narketca Rrlysts corporation 9vsf wnasa .ney
| extolllnx Oleomargarins, and denouneinS poor
| butter graSey recommends that the law be
| enforced. The righteousness OF this report Is
| only equaled by its impsrtinense: Next. sup
| pose, we shall see the Presidents steward. or
coachman, recommending to him what laws of
| There have been three arrests under this law
| Two women and one man have been bound
Se nron rss toos oeeson sbuks the
| raigning of two poor women while large dealers
are unmioleatad. MIR. Buell. seems to have got
the credit of those arrests when, In fact he had
nothing to do with them: The facts are that
Assistant Marke tmaster Mckay was instructed
the s9np se sale s
! within their Jurisdiction. He had no discretion
lin the ma ter, but was ordered to act promptly
grounds. 1t unfortunately fell to the lot of two
women and Virginia farmer to be arrest Cd,
they heing the only ones at the time that could
| be found selling this article in the market. or
| f1cer Mckay. as well as the market company,
| should therefore be commended, rather than
| censured for what they have done, as they
| have driven this counterfeit article from the
| great Center market.
| THE FAILURE OF THE DISTRICT AUTHORITIES
| TO ENFORCE THE LAW.
| But what has the District government done?
Nothing. so far az can learn, except to SANDER
dairy butter, belittle the sale of oleomargarfne,
and. pick flaws in the law for the evident pur-
pose Of ustifying itself for long failing to en-
force or attempt to enforce law OF Congress.
1t Is true that Congress Numbered, a. it gnn-
orally does when for tn; j., p tba
but for which word Judge snell would very
quickly dispose of these cases. The Police Court
poHe Of relieving the Criminal Court of its over
crowded docket, by providing that all cases OF
ml.demeanor shall be tried and disposed Of by
said Police Court. Congress, by Its stupid blum
| der In inserting in the oleomarGarine act that
parties violating the same shall be proceeded
f h1a Of
Jurisdiction for the trial OF mfsdemeanors. has
taken the matter out of the hands OF Jud 90
anoll, and needlessly added to the already
| oyercrowded docket of the Criminal Court. But
notwiths landing this defect III The law, 1t can
be enforced II there is will to enforce 1t. The
defect in the law, while 1t imposes needless la
| bors upon the prosecution, also subjects the de-
| iendant to unnecessary trouble ana expense,
thereby acting as greater terror TO vioiatsrs OF
| the law.
MR.. YouNde' DBFESsE OF oLEoMARGARINR
Mr.. R. B. Youngs, dealer in eleomargarine,
has taken the field in defense Of oleOmargarine,
by assuming the role of a constitutional lawyer,
declaring that Congress has no power to pro-
hibit the manufacture or sale OF such an article.
The states Of New York and New Jersey have
passed acts that have pretty much driven cleo
margarine from their borders. The latter state
imposes a fine Of 5000 for manufacturing or
possession. A similar law ha.. passed the lower
almost unanimous vote, and Will no doubt pass
the senate in spite Of the powerful lobby that Is
working to defeat 1t. I have net heard Of an
| oleomargarine case being appealed to the Su-
about a constitutional amendment after the
Supreme Court has decided these laws TO be I'M
constitutional. But what has all this to do with
this District, where Congress has supreme juris-
| dction, exercising Its power undisputed to dis
| franchise 200, 600 American citizens? II Con-
gress has the power to deprive US OF all political
rights, even to q voice in the education Of our
children In the public schools, 1t surely has the
power to prevent the adulteration OF our food,
| or to prevent soap grease from being sold to us
| as butter.
Is MADE.
There was time in the early days Of cleo
margarine, when, l have no doubt, 1t was man.
| ufactured with decency, and do not deny that
| such Is the case In some establis hments
now. Then the factory in Baltimore had an
| agent here to gather up grease from the butch
| ers and ship it to Baltimore. In warm weather
I am told II was packed In ice, but this was
found to be troublesome and expensive, and
was soon abandoned. An arrangement was
made with a soap factory here to procure the
fat from the butchers at tho markets and
slaughter houses, render It and ship the oil.
This concern buys the fat from the butchers,
paying them Ala cents per pound for all they
have. They are required to Keep the fat Of
rest ia rendered as oleomargarins oil and ship
ped away. Everything In the shape Of nat Is
| taken, sweepings and all. It IL "allee Sarnee"
so long as 1t 10 fat. The trimming nom beef
which the butchers throw under their benches,
where it is trOdden upon during market hours,