Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-03-12
rHs RAEsNr MEDIoINs BILE.
One of Hfe Defenders Takes she Field
with n sharp Lance for the kssOs
Rla,n Emtnranfa.

not, before any bill OF the above character
had been introduced into the Legislature
the Moraing Nsps edltorially advocated
suoh a bill, bat since its Introduction,
with every prospect of its prompt enact
msnt into law, this newspaper has
entirely changed It's course and Is the
furious advocate, contrary we are glad "a
say to Its custom heretofore, Of those few
persons In the community who from self.
interest are opposing this lsudabls legis.
lstion. With strong bias II publishes In
terviews with druggists, most Of whom, we
are sorry to say, take only selfish view
OF this matter. One says he knows the
deluded people swallow too much Of
worthless stuff and thinks fright to stop
fakirs and street psddlers from selling
medicine on the street. The poor fakir,
deprive him Of his right to sell, but let
the druggist sell any nostrum. We deny
that there Is any difference; the fakir
knows as much about the medicine he
sells as the druggist knows about the
quack stuff he sells and that is just moth.
ing as all. The dear public pays his
money and takes the nostrum and God
alone knows what he gets; the druz zgist
don's know, the fakir don't know and
much less does the purchaser know.
Another druggist says the Cooper bill
is all nonsense. Bright man able arqu.
ment. Another says Il Is ridiculous.
Well, confess he ia about as bright as
the other gentleman. Another druggist
says the proprietary msdioine business has
been recognised as legitimate and
pbysioiars use them. 30 they do, but
they know the formula Of those 80 used
These are not the ones we are after.
The good medicines need no such law,
but the worthless one do nssd it;the only
way TO protect the publio, is to make all
giveitheir formulB. Proprietary medicine
men are not unlike other men; the hon
eat ones won't object to stand up and be
counted, but the rogues, oh the rogues,
oh how they will oppose this law.
Another drusgist says the Cooper bill
is designed to kill the proprietary msdi-
cine business In this State. We deny II.
II won't harm In the least honest medi-
oines, but II is designed to kill quAckery
to protect the people.
The Nescs refers to q bill OF similar
nature which has been before the Con-
nectiout legislature, which was considered
BY and opposed by the Connecticut Phar
msoeutioal convention. Csrtainl iuch q
convention opposed It, because they Let
self-interest sway them and, as often has
been done before In other matters in the
history Of great reforms, succeeded IL
turning over the suffering and soleran,
publio to be scourged and ground again
We venture to suggest that the goo
people Of Connecticut and OF many 9th
states are making up to this terrlb
fraud In quack medicines and soou the
will not be the ones TO be soourged an,
ground, when justice and right shal
hold and assert their sway. The Who'll
tirade Of these interested parties against
the bill 10 = failure. Not one single
argument have they advanced on their
side and they can't argue against Il Il
Is unanswerable.
The opponents Of this measure are try
ing to create sympathy for themselves, by
declaring that II will destroy their busi.
ness, Of dealing In proprietary medicines
in Delaware. II WON'T do any such thing.
II will only expose the scoundrels who
are imposing on the public with faithlsss
nostrumB. All the good medicines will
be sold same ss before. The frauds won't
dare appear. The Morning NsDs says
people csn't read the formula. ALI we
osn say 10 the NsOs the people are not
fools and, IL the Legislature will pass
this law, the public will know and condemn
any worthless and injurious proprietary
medicine, whether for man or beast in
less than so days after 1t has gone into
effect.
Having dealt with the mean ,meroensry
and inhuman opposition to this measure,
let us now come to the real point that
interest all.
This law has been thought over and
framed by men honest, good and true,
with no thought Of gain In any way near
or remote, aud with no selfish desire to
tpture any man. but inspired only by
the philsnthropic aud holy mosives which
prompt men to shield the weak, expose
the knays and instruct the ignorant.
More, IL has been framed in tho Interests
Of temperance and good morals. We pass
laws to restrict and restrain the liquor
lrafio and all the respectable dealers in
this line will tell you that these laws are
necessary and all the rascals in the trade
deooy them and endeAvor to defy them.
We pass laws to regulate ard prevent
adulteration in the food supply.
We even cotton TO our farms with
such tender solioitude that we demand
the formula and exact Ingredients used
In the manufacture OF every particle Of
artificial feTtilizsr. We apply for their
Improvement, and In heavens name sre
We to be less solioitous about our own
Nabn than mi ak ~
acres Are our druggists and quack
medicine makers so much better than the
gentlemen engaged In making fertilizers
that their trade can't be regulated by
law think not. Has the fer.
silixsr trade bsen destroyed by
the law regulating itf l think
not but honest men now control
the trade, and the hard-worked farmer
gets his honest dollars worth and the
trainers Of this medicine law intend in
the same way to put the business In the
hsnds Of honest men and give the buyer
information that shall save him from the
tolls Of the swindler that are now so apt
to surround him. But the great soul
consuming, body.destroying sin which
the authors OF this bill desire to abolish
by regulating the sale OF proprietary
medicines is the terrible abuse Of alcohol
and opium to which their use ia leading
hundreds In every community.
With few exceptions quaok medicines
contain the one or the other or both, and
ch, how often does the regular practitioner
OF medicine see the weakness OF human
nature yield In the manly battle against
stimuli, when the patient will tell him
with swelling pride that he has the battle
nearly won, has taken no liquor or opium,
yet at the same time Is consuming q full
ration Of one or both, In the shape Of
- Bltters or somebody's soothing
drops. Here all are deceived patient,
loving and anxious friends-all except
physician. Why have they been de-
oeivedf Why, simply because the sick
man has resorted to some quaok remedy
containing alcohol or opium, and pro.
bhbly on It's label denying the presence
Of either, and Is thus consuming body and
soul. Could this deception OCCUR II the
proposed law should be in force with the
fact Of the presence Of alcohol or opium
noted on the label
Allow us to give one practical example
only whore this Law would come in.
There 10 on the market bitters which,
like all suoh, ia vAuntsd on Its labels and
In advertisements as . cure all. During
the existence Of the Maine law In this
State, almost every bar room sold II by
the small. It's proprietor Ia q millionaire,
and 1t Ia yet extensively sold. This stufi
by careful analysis gives 80 per cent
whisky, and very poor whisky at that.
Could the knAve putting II rs medicine
on this community succeed with this law
In forosf No doubt this very s.uff has
made scores Of drunkards, yet the de-
luded public buy It, and is mot the sin al
our doors II we don't enlighten the
publicf