The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-17
THE CONGER LARD BILL.

Our commercial interests, both internal
and foreign, are honeycombed with adul-
terations Of our food products, with the
direful influence of syndicates, trusts and
combines, with the gambling and swind-
ling processes of some of our commercial
organizations in some of our leading agri-
cultural products. On this point the
Massachusetts Ploughman of January %,
says:
LAS an illustration of the Importance of
this adulteration of lard to the American
farmer and hog raiser, it is fact, that in
the year 1887 the price of pure lard was so
reduced by the unfair and unjust COMPETE
ton which the farmers and packers had to
meet in these compounded and adulterated
substitutes for pure hogs lard, that the
price which the commission men at our
great packing centers were enabled to re-
turn to the farmers and hog growers in
the different parts of the country averaged
40 cents less per hog than it would
have been had it not been for the COMPETE
ton referred to which arose chiefly from
the use of cotton seed OIL beef and mutton
tallow and the lower grades of greases,
which were combined under various form
ulas in the production of vast quantities
of substitutes for pure lard, and which, of
course, displaced equal quantities of the
genuine article on our markets. This 40
cents per hog, taking the hog production
of the country for the year 1897 as basis,
would amount to more than SIS, 600, 900 an
nually, which, in simple truth, is the tax
paid by the farmers of this country as
penalty for permitting the adulteraters.
cOmpounders and mixers of pure hogs
lard to go on, inaugurate, develop and pro-
mote their nefarious traffic under false
pretenses in the face of, and in opposition
to all that is just and right in commercial
dealings"
On which the Iowa Homestead COM
ments thusly:
The only man the farmer has to de-
pend upon for protection against this an
nual robbery of $4,000, 600 is his repre-
sentative in congress, He has a right TO
demand his vote for remedial measures.
The member has his honorS and emolu-
mentS solely because he Is representative
of his constituents. They cannot look
after their public interests and the send
him in their stead to represent them. If
ne unuSISldlltlS himself ne must GODSlUSr
their wrongs his wrongs, their interests
his interests, and their rights his rights
If he does not look after their financial in
terestS what is he there for} Not, Ger
tainly. a. a mere distributor of offices or a
divider of Spoils. The people, the great
army of voters who make and IN
make men. care very little who get the
offices, but they do care who robs them.
They may be deceived for "A while, but
they viii sooner or later deal out just
retribution and ftungly reward the pnbhc
servant who Is faithful to a public trust,
The Conger lard bill. while it aims TO
protect the western farmer against rob
berry and fraud, At the same time aims 10
protect the honest dealer ana the conSum-
ers Of the nation. II is, therefore, entitled
10 the support of every member who does
not wish 10 become partner or at least
coudoner Of fraud aud robbery. National
honor imperitively demands the passage
of this bill However great may be the
profits a few reap from fraud, the nation
al honor should not be prostituted for
their Illicit gain. The stars and stripes
should protect only honest goods Lard
should travel as lard; and cotton seed oil
and stearine under their proper names.
Whether a. a representative OF the ma