The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-02-06
AGRICULTURAL HINTS
AGAINST HOG BUTTER.
An Able Argument by Congressman
Mor>e, of Massachusetts.

sets, defends the farming and dairy
interests of the country and the manu-
facturers of his own state.
On January II the committee on
agriculture favorably reported to the
national house of representatives a bill
affirming the decision of the supreme
court. to the effect that oleomargarine
or any imitation of butter or cheese
passing from one state to another
should be subject to all the laws and
regulations respecting the same in
that state. Hon. Elijah A. Morse, NJ. C.,
supported the bill and spoke il part as
follows:
NJ Speaker, I propose to vote for this
bill. I believe It is a proper and just bill
And in voting for It 1 represent Massachu-
sets. Our state has passed stringent
laws against these frauds called oleomar-
garine. imitation butter orimltation cheese
In the commonwealth which l have the
honor in part to represent. a boarding
house that uses this vile stun on Its table
must hang up in its dining-room q sign:
Imitation butter used here Tit man
ufacturers OF this product in my state are
not allowed to color II in imitation OF ire
color OF butter: they are obliged to sell II
white, or its natural color, so that the mar
who buffers his bread with II can see Wnat
article he is using.
This bill proposes to protect the COM
monwealth of Massachusetts, from having
brought into her borders from other states
this imitation product and sold contrary TO
the laws Of the state. Ever since l have
been a member Of the house / have consist
emily and persistently voted for every
measure that looked to the suppression OF
nlanrpo rpa rfna limitation butter or I'M
itation cheese. Every one of US has a
personal interest in this matter. /, for one,
do not want to butter my bread with soap
grease, ever II 1t has been chemically
treated.
1.-THE board of health of Massachusetts
was called upon while I was a member OF
the state legislature, to pass upon the
h-ealthfulness of this product; and that
board. composed of some Of the most prom
inent men in our commonwealth, said,
among other things, that the door for the
propagation of that awful disease known
as 'trichinosis' was thrown open to some
extent at least by the manufacture OF
this product. And why? They explained
why. They said that the oil of the hog,
in order to be made into oleomarGarine or
butterine or any of these other products
named here, could not be brought up to
such a temperature that the disease germs
would be destroyed, because this extreme
heat would break the lobuleS n the
butter could not be churned. On the
strength of that report by the board OF
health of Massachusetts, the legislature of
which l was at the time a m passed
this very %tringent measure to which l
have called attention.
The manufacture of imitation butter
and cheese is a fraud upon the great farm
ing interests of this country. Ihave, since
/ have been a member of this house. voted
rpifOrpIv pOnSiSfantlU and nnrSfSteDt1y
for every measure in the interests of the
great farming class of our country. There
are a great many tribuneS of the farmers
who are demagogues who stand up and
demand in the interest OF the farmers
things which would be against their inter
est. But I do believe it to be in the inter-
est of the farmer-I believe 1t to be wise.
Just and proper-to legislate in behalf of
the great dairy interests of this country.
IT have listened to some of the constitu-
tional arguments of the learned gentleman
from Louisiana and the learned gentleman
from Virginia. And when hear some Of
learned lawyers, Judges and jurists dis
course upon the constitution. l sometimes
think of a minister that / heard of, of whom
it was said that his principal qualiica-
ton was that he could split a theological
hair, and II was not so good after he had
split II as it was before.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, l am loyal to the
constitution of my country. I find in Vt
q provision about interstate commerce. L
there IS anything in that provision that
will enable us to suppress, control or re-
strain the sale of this vile, dirty compound.
unfit for human food, 1 will vote for such a
measure every time.
1T has been said in the course of the de-
bate on this floor, by the way of justifyfng
this oleomargarine fraud upon the great
farming interests and consumers of this
~,,-4- NI-N H. 40 &c focCo
chusettS are not honorable merchants and
business men and are guilty of fraud in
the manufacture of leather, shoes, wool
ems, etc. Lest by silence 1 should appear
to give consent to that charge, l wish to say
a word here in my place.
81 call the attention OF the house to the
fact that a distinguished representative of
Massachusetts, on one occasion in ante
bellum times, when the dark crisis was i'm
pending and the mutteringS of war and
secession were heard, stood on this floor
and said, in answer to an attack on our
commonwealth, that he threw down her
glove to the whole band of a~ssailants.'
That man was Arson Burlingame. Now
1 stand in my place, and in behalf of the
manufacturers of Massachusetts,, and meas
airing my words, / say that, for business
honor, for enterprise, for integrity. ] throw
down the glove of her manufacturers.
bankers and business men to the world.
~lApplause.l
Mr. Speaker, the manufacturers of
Massachusetts sell wooden goods and shoes
for what they are. There is no attempt as
in the case of oleomargarine, to palm Il
off for something it is not. If there Is
any split leather in their shoes, they are
sold for split leather, and for half the price
of whole leather. If their clothes are made
in part of cotton las charged, 1t is to cheap
en- them and bring them in the reach of the
poor and they are sold for what they
are.
Mr.. Speaker, I might go through the
whole category OF articles made by the
manufacturer Of Massachusetts,, and used
in civilized lif and prove by statistics that
our. manufacturers, for honor, for enter
prise, for integrity and for success, can
safely challenge the world. More than
that, Mr.. Speaker, when the yellow wings
OF a pestileTce flap themselves in a south
ern sky, when fire or famine or flood or pes
thence overtake any section of our coun-
try or overtake humanity anywhere in the
wide. wide world, in starving Ireland, in
famine-stricken Russia, or in the far-away
victims of the sultan in Armenia
who pours out its treasure like At a NEE
relieve affection and distress? w % 4
same manufacturers who have be
and misrepresented on this flooesuay e'
these men who are accused otion WAS
.nasteboar5. otion una
NJ Speaker, Massachusetts, new hereas,
logium or defense from me in the ;ns+aJIa,
hours of my service here. In the
of one of her great sons we say: ark Loo
stands Mr.: speaker, II TINS Y, Janual
place n throw back to the e muslcai