Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-08-03
THE oLEOMARGARINE TAX.


bill yesterday, and it will tax g
effect % days from the date of his sigma
ture, placing tax oi 2 cents per pound
upon all oleomargarine, and compelling
dealers to put il up in packages with the
tax stamp attached, and providing heavy
penalties for neglect to do so. So far,
this is the only bill signed by the Presi-
dent, the provisions Of which touch upon
the welfare of the whole people, and
comes directly within their hands, and
for that reason his arguments in favor of
his assent to the measure ARE very inter
esting. He says
This legislation has awakened much inter
est among the people of the country. and an .
earnest argument has been addressed to the |
Executive for the purpose of influencing his
action thereupon Many in opposition have ,
urged its dangerous character rs tending to |
break down the boundaries between the |
proper exercise of Legislative power by the
Federal and State authorities. Many IN
favor of the enactment have represented
that it promised great advantages to n large |
portion of our population who are sadly in
need of relief, and those on both sides of the
question whose advocacy or opposition were
based upon no broader foundation than
local or personal interest have o,itnumbered
all the others.
1t is admitted that the claims OF the
butter men, based upon local and per-
sonal interest, outnumbered all others,
and well they may, for the defeat of the
bill would keep them from foisting a
spurious and dangerously adulterated
article on the people ut Il high price,
while the people could purchase at a low
price II more palatable article, knowing
| it to be clear OF adulteration and not dan
gerous to the stomach. The President
must know that two-thirds OF the stuff
sold for pure butter is adulterated. He
cannot be blind to the fact that butter in
sufficient quantity to supply the demand
could not be made in this country. All the
product OF all the darics in the United
States could not supply one-third OF the
tables in the country with pure butter,
and yet these men who have prevailed
on him to sign the bill, say they can do
it. II pure butter could be branded just
as oleomargarine soon will be, and the
| uClitl Hlhlc III 6SliuihO
quality, how soon the friends OF the
oleomargarine bill would bolt and drop
the subject? Butter adulteration has
advanced to a fine art, and the most ex-
perienced housekeeper cannot tell the
pure from the spurious at q glance, and
often by the taste, so that the bill gives
free license to all aduterators OF the pure
article to sell their compounds at will for
pure butter, because they have no one
to watch them officially and expose their
duplicity, and because it will not be in
the prescribed packages The President
further says:
merit which its friends claim for it, and if
: tho people of the land with full knowledge
! of its real character, desire to purchase and
!, use it, the taxes enacted by this bill will
permit fair profit to both manufacturer
and dealer If the existence of the COM
modify taxed and the profits and its manu-
facture and sale depend upon the disposing
of it to the people for something else which
. it deceitfully imitotes, the entire enterprise
is fraud, and not an industry, and if il
! cannot endure the exhibition of its real
, character, which will be affected by the in
- spection the supervision and the stamping
which this bill directs, the sooner it is de
y stroyed the better.
: lie should remember that he was moi
!, called to act upon legal proposition
/ but upon matter involving question
| OF privacy, in which the Government has
c no right TO pry. Many thrifty house
j. keepers would purchase oeomargarin,
e for use in their families because ii wa
c cheap and good, ii they could do SO with
!, out the fact being published to thei
G neighbors and the world at large, just a
n they do many other things, all o
8 which are within the strict priyac,
" OF their homes The dealers, too
1t will not keep it Tor the sam,
r, reason, and so il will eventually be killet
IS ss an industry. There is one redeemin
IL point in the bill, however, which is tina
A it can be in force but 30 days beior,
Il the next meeting OF Congress, and in tina
Ie short time it will have developed such
y storm OF opposition that Congress will b.
it forced to repeal the odious measure, anc
r thus satisfy the wants oil the people VIII
le eat, and not those who make butter