Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-05-24
NO. 81.

fore the House VIII he amended in such
a spirit of fairness. Your trustees en-
deavored to convince the Committee on
Ways and Means that under existing
circumstances and in view of the pro-
tectve import duties already enforced,
any increase of the tariff on hops. bar
ley, malt, rice, corks, etc, would be
unjustifiable from an economic point
of view, bat We failed TO accomplish
more than the curtaihng of the rates of
increase originally proposed. Wemay
regret that the w-makers sometimes
act under erroneous conceptions of
what public welfare demands, but we
will not believe that partisan CON
siderations can actuate them to jeopar-
die vast industrial interests.
IN RESPECT TO APPLICATIONS
of beer, and the bill against them now
pending in Congress- the report says
This is the proper time and oppor-
tunity to declare that, individually
and as the representatives of this asso-
citation, we condemn adulteration, and
fully approve and support any law de
signed to suppress and punish it.
That the brewers of this country do not
adulterate their products, is a fact
which has been demonstrated by Of
iicial analysis, like the one, for exam
pie, made few years ago by the
Health Board of the State of New
York, which included samples of beer
from nearly every brewery in the State.
Not a single instance of the use
of injurious substances was dis
covered in this case, and the same
is true of every impartial and compe-
tent analysis ever made anywhere in opr
country" The report SAYS that the use
of any grain other than barley in the
manufacture of beer can not be STYLED
an adulteration, and continues: 1T Is
our opinion that the proper course to
pursue would be to have n competent
authority, say, for instance, the rev
enue department, in conjunction with
the agricultural, the medical depart
ment, and the board of health, deter.
mine whether the use of rice, wheat,
I corn, or the starch derived from these
materials is wholesome or not; whether
beer made of either of these is or is
not less healthy and nutritiye than
barley beer, and lastly, whether the
use of cereals other than barley in the
brewing of beer is Justly and properly
to be considered an adulteration. If it
is forbid it.
Whatever could legitimately be
done to prevent the passage of the bill
under consideration was promptly done
by your officers and representatives.
Here, MS in all our efforts, we were
greatly hampered by the totally un-
founded impression that this associa-
tion is
PART or a POLITICAL MACHINE
an impre ssion which is strengthened,
unfortunately by persons connected
with the trade in loose way but
neither authorized to speak for us nor
representing our views correctly in any
respect. We have so often emphasized
the fact that this association is not a
political machine, committed irrevoca-
bly, to any party, that repetition of the
statement must be wearisome; vet cir
cumstances compel us to again ex-
plain our losition, and we cannot do
this better than by citing the follow
ing from the address by which your
former President, Mr.. Schrarmann,
opened the Rochester convention. He
said We do not wish TO play any
part in politics. We would gladly do
our duty at the ballot box, voting for
this party or the other, as our indiyid-
uol conviction may compel us, if those
who constantly assail our trade
would but allow us to do so.
We are not politicians, We are
citizens and brewers, and We
exercise the rights of the former to
protect the interests of the latter In
every other respect we are as much di-
yided in political opinion as any body
of business men in the country the
proportion Of Republicans and Demo
Gratis in our ranks being about equal
We are unit only in matters concern
ing our industrial interests. our as
.oeiation is not political organia-
tiou It Is body Of business men
organized for the a aucement aud
protection Of our trade n Boa living
up to tbis legitimate object We are
forced az times io take political action
Cine blame li There ba any falls apuu
thuss uhs v,ll uot letu l,,e ia peare.