Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-12-23
TIE onNosrARGAnrvE BILn.
senator Grny,s Views Upon ahs

Apropos OF the discussion ut the recent
meeting Of the Delaware State Grange /
upon Senator Gray's attitude toward the
Oleomargarins bill taxing artificial butter,
the following from his speech delivered in
the United States Senate, on July 18th, is |
republished from the Congressional |
Record:
It would be in vain to call this govern |
ment OF limited powers II the powers |
granted for one purpose could be perverted |
TO another purpose not contemplated In the |
constitution. Something else Is needed be- |
sides the specification and enumeration of
the powers OF legislation, and the definition
Of their scope and purpose to insure the
maintenance of the constitutional scheme OF
government devised by our fathers, and
that was and is an absolute fidelity 10 the
great trusts of power conferred by the con-
stitation On the part of those who administer
and exercise them.
1t is doctrine full Of peril to our liber-
ties, that we may seize upon any weapon
we please out OF the great armory OF Fed
eral powers, and wielu 1t for purpose for
which 1t was never intended.
lay down, then, the proposition as one
of binding force, at least TO regulate my
own action, that power OF legislation
granted In the constitution for u purpose
there declared can not be rightlully exeis
Cisco Ior Any DLHcr pufpobb.
The Senator from New York, with great
| candor, says this is a new species of legisla
| ton for Congress. trust II may never be-
| come accustomed or old. Just now the agi-
i tation ls In behalf OF the dairy interest. In
1 the constantly changing moods to which
| the desire for class legislation is subject,
/ other and different demands will with In
| creasing frequency, II this bill becomes Il
| law, be made upon Congress to use the
i taxing power to protect first one AMI
/ then another interest. Those who fut
the time being can by clamor ard impor
/ tanate appeal gain the attention OF Coz
grsss will not 10 slow to invent plansib
reasons why the intereste they represeni
should receive the protection OF this powtt
to lay and collect taxes, and a door will h.
flung wide open hy which we can At
pleasure enter and usurp all those powers
| Of Internal r. gulation which were 80 care
fully and by exl ress words reserved by the
trainers OF the constitution to the states ard
to the people.
| gArine Ia fraudulent one innslnuch as 1t Is
often sold for what II Is not, to wit, dairy
butter. Il Is most desirable, admit that
this should not be; and many OF the states
have already passed laws to prevent 1t, abd
| they may have to enact aud doubtless VIII
enact sill more stringent ones to accom-
| plish the oblect shall with pleasure sup
Tennessee, to prevent the sale Of oleomar-
garine In thu territories and in the District
Or Columbia except under lis OWL nome. ]
shall be glad to 40 further and provide for
, | the inspection OF all oleomargarine to be
exported out OF the country. so that It shall
ba branded with Its proper name, because
| believe that II Is competent for Congress TO
/ do that under the power to regulate foreign
J | commerce. Just as far as my convictions vi
: | duty will permit, will go In devising legis-
! | lation to prevent the fraudulent sale of this
b article for what 1t Is lot; but cIn not gain
. my own consent as a legislator to attemli
/. to prevent one fraud by committing another
Q So far, then, as the object OF this bill is tt
e compel the sale OF oleomargArine undsl
9 Its true name, l sympnthize with II
: but say that 1t Is clearly
d matter for the police power OF tb'
q states alone, aud for Congress In respect L
h the District of Columbia and the territories
r Its wholesomeness or EMBELLISHMENTS is
Is question not for Congress, except in thu
y district aud the territories but for tn
4 states. The regulation, suppression, or re
IL straint of the manufacture of deleteriou
10 substance within their own limits belong
=, to the states exclusively.
r But what are we TO say as to the object O
10 this proposed legislation as avowed ia tn
r. third of the principal reasons stated by th
10 senator from New York upon which b
is based his support Of the bill? That obiec
n. Is to protect the dairy interest OF the couu
% try from competition with m ARTICLE
n butter.
to Mr.. President, 1t is the old cry OF pro
8, lection the world over, protection OF on
n producing class at the expense OF all other
j. and Of the great body of consumers. Her
s. Is a cheap food product not shown by III
Is evidence produced by those most intereste
u In suppresslng 1t to be unwholesome, bt
IL only at the most not quite so good {
y digestible as tirst-class butter, which It
ie proposed to tax, not for the purpose
~ raising a revenue, but for the purpose {
40 enhancing its price to consumers, for ii
10 benefit Of the producers OF another foo
co product. This is pnternallsm and con
10 munism combined In their most insidiol
re forms. What right has the government
no 30 into partnership with people who N
tn engaged In one industry to the detriment
is those engaged in another? Suppose OIL
CO state is peculiarly a cattle raising state,
sir which the oleomargarlne manufactur
honestly conducted, we will suppose is Il
of dominant and principal industry, VIII
Ike would be thought Of q proposition TO t.
,ss all dairy butter, the manufacturing Of viii,
IN. happened to be the dominant and princip
he industry in another state, for the benefit
Jul the former2 Could the Vice OF protect,
IN be more clearly portrayed, or the prostit
lte tlon of the powers of government be mo
in clearly exposed? What sort of cuneept
are Of government is that which allows I
lth hand d governmental power % go doN
ny into my pocket to take out the 'oIlnr thel
4 q not for tbN purpOss Of puttiIH If Ia {
ou treasury of the nation, but to transfer It
ch. the pocket Of my neighbour
II, Against this monstrous claim OF powe
lily have been protesting during all my pol
his ical life. No class of our people have
OF suffered from the exercise Of this power
lus the farmers OF our country. Compelled
H., IyANa f,,t Ia.
lay tected one, they have borne upon tn
Ing bowed backs for many years the burden
y II a protective tariff.
plo have no public ambition greater III
that may be permitted in some hum
way to aid in removing some portion
least of that burden. should be ashan
10 20 home to my former constituents n
H., say that all that had urged before tn
, ~ thess many years as to the lu.qntty of z
w ..t | ornamental protection Of ono Industry at
~ expense of ali others, was heresy and
w pc }risy, that the doctrlue that they An
X, had all along been denouneinH "a false
~ theory aud runous In practice, was nj
W., vi all the orthodox one, and that we now y
!na pose to turn around and apply II for
ise own benefit, to use the power OF inter
t'n3 taxation as thetaritf taxation las been us
~ though 1t was true that ths power mi
" some day be wrested from our hands q
s.un turned against US and our interests mere
ded ~, an,,i,,;o i,,,, ~, SHs -
saa as honesty and intelligence would repudl
tea. With scorn such a proposal.
s !, ~, II may be that II is the enc now OF
\ ,N ~ protection-by.taxation party 10 SEEK IA
.ad with class wig have hhrttnf1ta been
the a,,ar M, ,hst a pU,'es, ~ ay ~ ~
~ ~ who are Intelligent enough 10 perceiy,
U ,r,,s principle and honest enough TO ualntall
! III IL The measure received thu support
ter. bur three OF the 81 or So Democrat,
bu; the United States Senate. as is shown
Used the records Senator Saulstnfy ioil
: in with Mr.. Gray and his party in opp5s
keTs the bill
A0in -------s-N -
rva. 1IIc c4n,uI,vIl. tIrar1i.
t tns LoNDoS, pee 2O.--sir Charles Rus