The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-09-18
MIR. PUGSLEY ALL RIGHT.
His Record Clear on the Compound
Lard Bill and the Attempt to
Prejudice the Farmers
a Failure.

Hon. J. j. Pugsley is at home for
few days from Washington suffering
from malaria and when seen at his resi-
dence by representative of the NEWS.
HERALD expressed himself very freely
in regard to the manner in which his
relation to the Compound Lard Bill has
been misrepresented to the public.
The Farmers Alliance in session at
Washington having seen the name of
Mr. Pugsley in a list of members who
were absent from the House during a
preliminary roll call on the Lard Bill,
proceeded in the style lately 80 much
in vogue to "emphatically denounce"
him for his action. The anathema of
the irate farmers was made conditional,
however, and was to be null and void If
he could prove that his absence was for
good cause. Mr.. Pugsley had left
Washington Immediately after the pass
age of the bill and was looking after his
farming interests in Hardin county
when he saw by the daily papers the
action of the Alliance at Washington @.
H. and the false construction which was
being placed on his relation to the bill.
He Immediately telegraphed Gen. H. V.
Boynton, the Washington correspondent
of the Commercial Gazette, to investigate
his record on the Lard Bill and contra
dict the report. Gen. Boynton did so
and showed in the Commercial Gazette
of September 4th that Mr.. Pugsley had
been called out OF the House during one
OF the preliminary roll calls by Col.
Thompson, constituent of his from
Georgetown, but even on this vote he
returned to his seat in time to be count
ed to make quorum. This explanation
relieved him of all suspicion of unfriend.
liness to the passage of the bill.
Mr.. Pugsley further states that he had
been an advocate of the bill in the pre-
ceding Congress and as member of the
Committee on Agricultural had voted
to report it favorably to the House at
that time. The bill of course died in a
Democratic House but was again favora-
bly, reported by the same committee to
the present Congress, Mr.. Pugsley sup
porting it as before. The opposition,
though principally Democratic, was led
by Congressman Mason, Republican
from Chicago and representative of
the interests of Armour. In order to
prevent its passage the usual obstruc-
tionary tactics were resorted to and the
yeas and nays were called for number
of times in order to consume the hour
set for the consideration of the bill It
was during one of these tedious and
utterly useless roll calls, with which an
entire month of the present session has
been consumed, that Mr.. Pugsley step
ped out for moment at the call of Col.
Thompson. The fate of the bill did not
depend upon the vote in question and
the interest of Mr.. Pugsley in it's passage
is shown by his remaining in Washing
ton for several days purposely to vote
on it at time when urgent private bus
inees required his presence elsewhere
Some discussion in the House on the
succeeding day called attention to the
names of those not voting on a certain
tilibustering amendment. The list was
published, and the farmers at Washing.
ton G. H. not understanding the purport
of the vote, proceeded to "denounce"
Mr.. Pugsley as aforesaid. He probably
appreciates the irony of fate which came
so near throwing him in false relation
to the bill on which he had taken every
precaution to set himself right.
The bill itself was framed directly in
the interest of the farmer. This com.
pound lard is made of so per cent. pure
lard, 35 per cent. cotton-seed oil and 15
per cent. stearine, substance obtained
from beef.tallow. The mixture is not
deleterious to health but being cheaper
than lard and closely resembling it in
appearance it greatly affects the price
of the pure country article. The law
now compells the manufacturer to dis
tinctly label every package as such and
requires retail dealers to procure a Ii.
cense. 1t is just measure and is a
compliance with one of the demands
made by the Farmers Union in their
declaration of principles at the Colum-
bus Convention. Mr.. Pugsley's record
on this and on every other measure
affecting the agricultural interests of his
constituents is unassailable, and no
action of his while in Congress can be
used to weaken the claim Of his party
upon the support of the farmers OF
Highland county.
Delegates to the Repu olican Congress-
iOnal Convention.