The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-20
Ficker.nR About Butter.

Long and bitterly has the relentless war
waged between the darymen of the country
and the manufacturers Of oeomargarlne.
Producers of oleomargarine contend that
there is but a slight difference in the arti-
cles, and only for a confirmed prejudice it
would be slightly in favor Of the new lubri-
Gator of fapiacks. While dairy butter is
extracted from one product of the COW by a
well-kDOwn process, the oleaginous butter
is compressed from another equally whole
some product in manner even more clearly
and quite as expeditions and effective. 1t
is the same chemical property of the same
animal. they contend, with the single differ
ence that it is taken from different parts.
But the dalrymen cannot bring them
selves to regard it as anything short of
q base deception invented to defraud the
public and to trench upon the natural
rights of the cow-and also her owner
| Therefore the dairymen of the various
states have held frequent councils of war
and organized themselves into offensive
and defensive combinations against this
competition of the dead COW with the in
dustry Of the living. Consequently much
insdious restrictive legislation has been
instigated and in some instances adopted
for the purpose of preventing a too great
spread of the despi ed oleomargarine upon
the public bread.
Some of these laws have been quite
soundly sensible But candor compels the
statement that some of them have proven
utterly absurd Among the latter may be
very properly included the recent resolu-
ten offered in the Massachusetts legislature
which provides that all public eating houses
serving oleomargarine shall notify their
patrons of that fact under a rigorous
penalty for noncompliance
Just TO imagine what effect would be pro-
duced upon stranger entering restaurant
to have zealously conscientious attendant
rush up to him before he can find a seat and
frankly shout mister, we use oleomar-
GARNET is a trifie diverting to say the least
Startling is very mild description of the
probable sensation.
Pennsylvania dairymen are after the
oleomargarine manufacturers, too, with
the most eager and aggressive animosity
According to the dairymen's manifest
notions every print of butter should have
a hoof stamped upon it to indicate that the
|
further precaution it should have a little
whey blown in the bottle and a little red
strand of the dairymaid's hair visible as a
guarantee of good faith.
But in all seriousness the matter appears
easy enough to effectively deal with. Chem
ical analysis will quickly show whether
oleomargarine is sufficiently wholesome to be
used an article of food. Should it prove
injurious to health then the manufacture
and sale of it can be altogether prohibited
But in case the pure article proves to be
properly and safely edible a rigid system of
sanitary inspection before it is put on sale
is all that is necessary to maintain that
healthy standard of purity. Such an in
spection of the dairy product might also be
introduced with advantage to the public
health. But there is no good reason why
oleomargarine should not have a distin-
gushing mark upon it so that the people
would not be deceived. Let it stand upon
whatever merits 1t has
Just as soon as the Sioux commission that
has been investigating the causes of the
, recent outbreak and the general condition
and treatment of the Pine Ridge reservation
Indians completed their work the records
were promptly stolen. That looks more than
slightly suspicious. There were one or two
, government officials who did not figure
very creditably in that outbreak, and they
had every reason to desire concealment of
the facts. How thorough and conscientious
were the inquiries Of the commission will
now probably never be known since the
records can never be duplicated. But in
any event there must have been at least a
few things recorded that those interested
} would have preferred not to have disclosed.
So they had good reason to wish the COM
7 missioners lll-luck with their papers and to
promote it in every possible way. Such an
! idea as that suggested to the effect that
} some Indian fearing a cut-down in rations
} stole the sachel Of papers to prevent it, is
preposterous. No Indian would ever have
thought of such thing unless it was put
into his head by some tricky white man
who wished to have the papers destroyed
without taking the risk OF doing it himself.
Thus another republican scandal is very
thinly covered up.
Calling IN bank deposits from all over the
3 country is the latest device of the Secretary
of the Treasury to make some sort of show
of enough cash to hold down the bottom of
the treasury vaults. But that will essen
r TALLY have a tendency to make money
5 higher and closer throughout the country.
, Resorting to such subterfuges as that is a
I very poor substitute for wisely administered
good government.