Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-04
WEDNESDAY......AUGUsT 4. 1884,
The oleomargarine Bill.

The Oleomargarine Bill.
We are not surprised the Presiden
Of the United States signed the cleo
margarine bill. and thus made 1t law
We watched carefully it's progress
through the two houses Of Congress
and when tho President referred 1t te
the Attorney. General and asked his opin'
ion q to its constitutionslity We could
not but infer that be intended to sign
the bill II II was pronounced constitu'
tional. We expressed this opinion,
and added that Mr.. EvARTs
had said that all the senators
admitted its constitutionslity, and we
also added that another distinguished
lawyer who had opposed the bill had
said that sitting as . judge he would
decide the bill to be constitutional. We
again reminded our readers, too, that
tobacco was for years taxed forty cents
. pound--many times its value.
We have said little else on the gene
raj subject because only one Demo-
cratic congressman from Virginia voted
for the oleomargarine bill, and we did
not wish to seem to censure those who
honestly held the bill to be unconstitu-
tional, or bad for any other reason.
II is evident that one result of the
passage Of the bill will be to arraign
the manufacturers Of oleomargarine
against the internal.revenue system.
This consideration alone would have in
duced us to support the bill. The
hands of the Virginia tobscco-men will
be greatly strengthened If they secure
hereafter in their efforts to repeal the
interpal-revenus laws the powerful aid
Of the persons who manufacture an
nually two hundred millions Of pounds
Of oleomargsrine. As General GRANT
said, the way to secure the repeal Of an
Objectionable law is to enforce it
risidly.
IT 10 easy enough to pronounce the
making Of Oleomargarine an honest in.
dustry, but it would not be easy to
convince the public generally that there
ID much honesty involved in msnufac-
turing annually hundreds Of millions of
pounds Of olsomargarine and selling it
q butter. And yet this is just what
has been done. As the President
says in his message on the subject,
" hardly pound ever entered house
under its true name and in its true
character" Who would eat oleouar-
gsrine if be knew it to be oleomarga.
rine?
The Presider' is Q strict construc-
ZIONIST Of o certain sort. lie evidently
strained q point when no signed the
oleomargarine bill. lie had doubts
whether it did or did not invade the do.
main Of the State governments. But
he gave the benefit Of the doubt to the
dairy.owners Of the country, and to
the helpless persons who for years have,
unknown to themselves, been eating
oleomaTgarine under the impression
that 1t was genuine butter. He asks
Congress to amend the law IS soon as
possible II it is obnoxious to the OBJ.
jections be mentions.
TIE fact that the Democratic Admin
istration saved the oleomargarine bill
from defeat; the fact that Democrat
(Mr. HATCH, Of Missouri reported the
bill, became Its patron in the House,
and skilfully engineered it through that
body; and the fact that in both houses
the Republicans opposed the bill, ought
to satisfy the voters that It was not con-
sidered . party question. Nevertheless,
there will be no end Of speeches made
on the stump in Virginia within the
next three months having for their OBJ
jset the convincing Of the voters tina.
the bill was . Republican measure.
The tax is only two cents pound.
It's, therefore, not . prohibitory tax.
II b not high enough to iujure the o'eo-
margarine business. II that business
shall be damaged Of ell BY the new law,
Il win be because this requires all imi.
tAsions Of butter to be bought and sold
for whatever they are, and not Is but
Ter. II will not DO difficult for tn,
officers Of the law to compsl olsomarga
fins to appear in ito true character il
as is said to be the fact, the microscop
clearly points out tho difference between
reel and bogus butter. The butte
shows st. Andrews crosses the oleo
margarine stellar formations.
Cotton-seed oil is largely used il
manufacturing limitations ofbutser. Th
senators repr. ssnting the cotton State
we're msny II not al Of Thorn opposed
to the bill for that or some other reason
Apyhow, the Law is now upon th'
statuse-book. Let Il have . fair trial,
This al our Virginia congressman will
b ready to give 1t, We are sure. And
- We trust that no Democrat will vote
sesisst Co'onsl 0'FERRALL because be
supported Il. 20 W trust that no Demo-
esas viii Ses the opposite reason vote
sesinst any Other Virginia congrsssmsu
sbs may b. rsnominstsd for the House
ef R<prs ssntstivss this year.
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