The Washington critic., 1890-02-20
ILL 1ROET LARD.

ne AGRICULTURAL COullnlLlcG ol luC
House yesterday sat on an oleaginous
question. Indeed, it may be said TO
have "struck oil, >" and, if the gentle
men who appeared before it were not
themselves fat and greasy citizens"
they were at least deeply interested in
grease of various kinds.
The matter under consideration was
the Conger bill, which proposes to inn
pose tax upon what is known in the
market as compound lard and to regu-
late its manufacture and sale. The
gentlemen who addressed the com.
mittee in support of this meas
ure were earnest in affirming that
pure lard is the great need
of the people, that the legitimate "hog
product" is of paramount interest, and
that their unselfish contention was in
behalf of the unapproachable suprem-
acy of the American hog. Their dis
interested purpose was apparently to
protect the people against the tempta-
ton of purchasing other spurious and
cheaper products which might compete
with their lard, and this they proposed
TO effect by placing on these a tax
which would necessarily increase their
! price to consumers, or by 50 restricting
their manufacture and sale that the
high priced lard of which they were
the representatives might have no com
pettor.
The compound lard" men con
tended, on the other hand, that no tax
was needed They denied that their
product was an adulteration. The
compound lard industry employs many
thousands of persons and benefits the
people by furnishing wholesome and
economical food product. twas main
tained that the addition of proportion
of cotton seed oil was no disadvantage.
and that the compound has in it moth
| ing deleterious or unwholesome.
The total value Of the lard product
sold last year was 80 600, 900, while the
sales of compound lard amounted to
$i,000,0 600. When the cotton-seel
raising industry is also taken into ac-
count ii appears that the compound lard
industry is by far the more important
interest of the two.
The supremely ridiculous thing about
such seances is the hypocritica pre-
tense which all the advocates of the
varied selfish interests make of being
actuated by zeal for the public benefit
Every extortionate measure which i
intrigued for in the committee room
of both branches of Congress are al
ways alleged to be for the good of tht
people If this compound lard is un
wholesome let the Government suppress
it altogether. If it is wholesome ant
any proportion of the people prefer i
to pure lard what business has Congress
to tax it in the interest of another in
dustry? Under these circumstances
on what preteXt of justice can Congress
interfere between rival enterprises b,
restricting and burdening the trade o
one of them
We have the greatest respect for an(
appreciation of the American hog
which accomplishes his locomotion o
four legs, and we have ever been accus
toned to discover curving lines o
beauty in his well-rounded proportion
when in good condition. Besides thi
we have the most perfect assuranc
that American hog lard is the best an
choicest in the world. But we woult
rather forever henceforth dispense wit
the great crust producer than that Con
gress should do an injustice in thi
matter. Fiat jHStitiai