Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-13

A bill introduced by Senator Miller requires
Oil dealers in and manufacturers of oleOmarga-
rtne, lardine, butterine and suine TO display
signs at their places Of business, to take out fed
eral licenses at high rates and to keep their
books always subject 10 inspection by agents OF
the federal Treasury. This is doubtless an ont
growth OF the memorial adopted by The New
York legislature n month or more ago request
Ing the delegation Of that state in Congress to
use all honorable means TO secure the enact
ment OF a national law to prevent the manu-
facture and sale of adulterated dairy products.
The laws of New York on this subject have
never been all that they might, either in sub
stance or in effect, owing to two causes. In the
arst place, no Law OF sufficient stringency could
pass the legislature without invoking torrent
Of abuse upon every member who voted for it
from the organs of clique of politicians who
were interested in the manufacture and sale of
sdulterated foods. These men have effectively
blocked legislation for a number of years when
.ver IL threatened to injure the trade in their
avorite compounds. for it was seldom that a
legislator had the hardihOod deliberately to ex-
pose himself to their attacks upon his past rep
utatiOn and present motives. But still. another
condition existed To cripple efforts at reform.
Had the best statutes ever written gone into
effect in New York, their enforcement would
have been difficult in view of the geographical
boundaries of the state. Provided that Ver-
mont, Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania did not all adopt similar
measures. their proximity TO New York would
enable them TO smuggle into her markets, in
spite OF the vigilance of her police, much
bogus butter as they could produce. New York
was therefore at the mercy of nearly half
dozen neighbors whose legislatures were wholly
independent of hers; and the most direct, if
not the only. remedy tor such condition of
things seemed TO be a uniform law covering all
the states alike.
When we considerthe danger TO public health
involved in allowing any irresponsible maker
or vendor 70 put bogus foods into the market,
and the peril of letting anybody however re-
spectacle. sell goods under fraudulent brands,
the desireabieness of some such check as Mr..
Miiler's bill proposes is beyond question.
Representative Cannon of Illinois presented
some views on the Indian question in the
House on Wednesday deserving of attention
He declared that, although the government
was spending more money on every Indian than
a white laborer could earn in New York or Chi
cago, the Indian did not appear to be making
such strides toward civilization as were ex-
pected of him. Indeed, his progress seemed to
be rather the other way. When he ceased to
be an absolute barbarian he ceased to feel any
sense of manhood and selfdependence. This
is, possibly. a rather sweeping denunciation of
policy whose fruits do not reflect the highest
credit on the nation that has pursued it, but
the germs of truth are in the proposition, broad
as it is. Fer some reason, inherent in his
nature and defiant of a speedy eradication, the
Indian does not take kindly to the changed
conditions OF existence with which his philan-
thropic friends would surround him. 1t seems
as If Congress might go to Canada for some
good ideas on the administration of Indian az
fairs There the req man is made subject Uac-
tically to the same law as the white man. and
the white man is not denied contact with the
red man when he seeks II; yet the race troubles
there amount to almost nothing in comparison
with those which occur on this side of the
border. It is the needless artificiaIity of our
system which enfeebles it. 1t treats the In
dian as foreigner, without giving him the
rights Of a foreigner, and a man without
holding him to the responsibilities of man.
hood Its expensiveness is the lightest of its
i'll Qualities