The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-07
The 0leomargarine Question from
the DaIrymen's Stand Point.
BY @. p. LORD, OF ELaIN, Ill

y
BY @. p. LORD, OF ELGIN, ILL.
The dairy industry Of this country
has been brought TO the verge of ruin
by the introduction and sale of coun
terfeit butter The business of manu-
featuring and selling such butter wa
inugurated and has been carried on un
der and by virtue of chartered rights,
which were obtained from the govern
ment through the patent Office. From
sixty to oue hundred patents have been
issued, giving the patentees the right to
manufacture bogus butter, and the gov
eminent has been placed in the anoma
lous position of appearing to be an active
party to p stupendous fraud which has
been perpetrated on one of our import
ant agricultural industries. Had an
application : cen made to Congress to
enact IA law which would have given
parties the same rights which they have
obtained through the patent Office, there
is not member of either house but
would have opposed it, and would have
argued that Congress could no more
legalize the counterfeiting of our agri
cultural products, than it could legaliZe
the counterfeitng of the money of the
country. The I'M Jry to the dairy in
dustry is as great as it could have been
had this fraud been inaugurated by
special act of Congress. Not only has
this wicked fraud procured the sanction
of the national government through
the patent office, but our State officials
have been induced to allow the manu-
facturers of bogus butter to exhibit
.nuntarfaif nrnIn.st ot1o hu oiAa
with honest dairy and creamery butter
at a Dairy Show" All must admit
that it is impossible to sustain an honest
dustry is brought into immediate COM
petition with legalized fraud.
The nature of this artificial compound
must &c judged by the nature of the in
gradients used, as set forth in the speci-
fication ON file in the patent office. The
verbal denial that the ing edients set
forth in written specifications were used
in manufacturing artificial butter under
that patent, would not be admitted in
any court OF competent jurisdiction in
the United States. To break the force
of this argument, some Of those engaged
in the business OF making bogus butter
claim that their process Is not patented.
Unfortunately for them, their cold bath
process is co erred by one or two patents
that were issued Oct. "a 1882, and num-
bered 266, 566 and 266, $50.
Whether deleterious drugs are used
or not by those making artificial butter,
the fact remains that all such butter
tn t is made of animal fats, is simply
uncooked animal food put up in the
semblance of butter. There is not
physician of known standing and repu
tation in the United States who will,
over his own signature, state that un
cooked animal food is a safe article of
diet 1t is admitted that trichina and
such parasites are found in the tissue
and membrane and not In the fat OF the
animal. While this is true, II Is equally
true that the animal fat is permeated
with tissue and membrane, nor Is IL
pos ible by any known methods so to
separate the tissue or membrane from
the fat as to avoid all danger. This be-
ing true, the only way that animal fats
can be made safe article of diet is 10
render them-as in the olden time-by
subjecting them to such an amount OF
heat as will destroy every living para
site, and this the manufacturers of arti-
ficial butter cannot do, without impart-
ing to these fats such flavor of tailow
or lard as will unfit them for making
counterfeit of butter.
1t is urged that this artificial substi
tute is the laboring mans butter. IL ii
be so that the American laborer has been
reduced to such au extreme of poverty
as to be compelled to Substitute refuse
fats for pure butter, it is time that the
schedule of wages In this country be
revised.
1t cannot be denied that good fresh
butter, the product Of cream or milk by
churning, is superior to all other ex-
tracts for making food palatable, and
that it is cheaper than any food flavor
ing extract in the market 1t is not
only palatable, but an easily digesti-
bic, and therefore healthful fat.
Here the objector inquiries, what about
rancid butter? Rancid butter is butter
that is spoiled. 20 one advocates using
spoiled meat, or rancid butter, or putrid
fish. So long, however, as there is any
considerable quantity of such butter in
the market, it gives the lie to statements
which have been made by the advocates
o. bogus butter "that there are not
cows enough in the country to supply
the people with butter" When the
demand for butter is equal to the sup
ply, then rancid butter will disappear
from the market.
Bogus butter makers claim that il
they are interferred with in their un
holy traffic, the price of cattle will be
reduced three dollars per head. Did il
ever occur to these men that dairymen
are large purchasers of cows, and that
such stock growers have received from
the dairymen at least 25 per cent more
for cows than they could have gotten
for them had they sent them Tin like
conditiop) to the shambles? The dairy
men are large purchasers of feed which
is grown outside of the dairy region,
and 50 the grain farmer and the dairy
man are in harmony with each other.
Suppose that bogus butter should driye
out the dairymen, and these rich dairy
farms were devoted to stock growing
and grain growing, and the meat and
feed raised were to be thrust upon an
already overstocked market, what efieci
would that state of things have upon
our agricultural industries and the gen
eral prosperity of the county,
Nor should the interest of the labor
er be overlooked. No single industry
in the country employs so many men. in
proportion to the value of its product.
as the dairy industry. Other agricui
tural industries employ but limited
number of men, or a number Of mel
for limited time. The dairy cows in
the United States will require the care
of not less than $4,000 men EMPLOYED
365 days and six hours every year. Ii
to this be added those who are employed
in other branches of dairying, you will
find that not less than one tenth of til.
military force, or one twelfth Of the
voting population Of the United State
are identified with dairying. Ever,
one of these men are earnest in thei,
demands that Congress shall wash it,
hands from any further completely with
The bogus butter fraud. If the Senate
will pass the Scott bill, unabridged. a.
1t came from the House, it will do an
act Of simple justice to these men, and
relieve them from any further competi.
fion with q counterfeit article.
Won should keen 1 disusef cosl al