Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-03


lieyed that the German beer win give
health. | remember very distinctly
when it was argued that our beer was
adulterated so as to be unhealthful, and
it was by dint of great eXertion that il
was sold upon our markets. | have nc
doubt we make the article now as good
and healthful as Germany, and this law
would give it certificate for purity, if
it deserved it, throughout the world.
another abnormal condition in the
legislation for the country has grown
up and is not on every hand. 1t is that
of opposing bills by indirection and mis-
representation" continued Senator Pad
dock. II had to contend at first against
the cottonseed oil interest. 1t was held
that If a law was passed which COM
PEELED all food articles to be branded for
Just what they were it would ruin the
use of cottonseed oil in the manufacture
of lard and butter. My reply was that
if any articles of food was ruined upon
the market by being sold for just what
it was and nothing more it ought to be
ruined. / hold that the person, rich or
poor, who goes into market to purchase
a basket of provisions Is entitled first TO
know that what he or she buys is what
it is reputed to be, and to know, too,
whether there is anything in the articles
which will j. jure health. Many persons
have delicate health and can not eat
certain articles. By the common prac-
tice of adultcration they are compelled
to eat those articles which ruin their
health and they do not know it. The
articles may not be injurious to the
health of others, but the articles are
covered up under fraudulent brands.
Now, the most effective opposition to
my bill is being made upon the ground
that the measure will compel nlanufact-
urers to make known their formula, and
expose their trade. This is ridiculously
false No article will be subjected to in
spection. but will be sold without any
supervision unless complaint is made
that it is adulIerated and sold under
fraudulent brands. OF course, there will
be a danger to frauds that the inspectors
will get hold of articles being branded
and sold improperly, in the absence of
complaint, and there will without any
special effort be general improvement
in the composition of food. But it is so
plain in the bill that the contents of
medicines and food articles, spices,
ETC., shall not be made public
through the government officers,
except there is conviction of the
guilty parties in court that it is use
less to mention the objection that the
trade of any henest manufacturer will
be injured by the law Why, we have
already chemical division of the de-
partment of agriculture where all sorts
of food products are analysed, and if
there was disposition on the part of
the government officials to wantonly in
jure a line OF trade they could do it at
present, and they would not be held ac-
countable fol it under the present laws,
while it would be a serious ofense to do
so under my bill. The same processes
as are now employed will be used under
my bill to reach the frauds.
mo, sir" concluded the senator, 1.-The
opposition to my bill is not honest. 1t
is based, too upon ignorance, and the
opposition hopes to defeat it through
prejudice and the incredulity of the
public. Whenever see a manufacturer
oppose it my attention is naturally
directed to the quality Of his products,
for consider him either ignorant of the
effects of the proposed Law or DESTROYS
of eyading an examination of the quail
ties of his wares. | could not imagine
why butcher, for instance, should OBJ
ject to a custOmerinquring where he got
his animals for slaughter, what they
were fed upon, how long they had been
slaughtered, and whether he believed
them free from disease. | am very sure
that the people in the cities never fail to
ask farmers all about their butter and
eggs, their chickens and slaughtered
animals before they buy. Why not ask
the canned goods producer what he has
put in his cans. which you can not see?
Or the maker of a patent medicine what
there is, if anything, which would in
iure a person under certain conditions?
This is done, of course, through sworn
chemist, who can not divulge his infor-
nation, and whose only duty is to report
frauds which should be exposed.
"There is not a farmer or mechanic,
laborer or retail dealer in the country
who, knowing the provisions of this
measure, will oppose it. The bill was
not framed, | am sure, to shield few
dishonest manufacturers, but in the in
terest of that portion of the people who
make up nine hundred and ninety -nine
of the country's population of every one
thousand. And yet if one was to take
superficial view Of the fight going on
against the.measure he would reach the
directly opposite conclusion. 1t is won
dcTlll what noise few wounded in
dividuals can make in skirmish'
AtSpringfield, o. Andrew Farrell was
given life sentence for killing Christie
B. Harris, who was intimate with his