The record-union., 1897-05-30
A Pure Drink Congress.

A PURE Drink congress.
Eds. Record Union: AS we have
recently had largely attended and very
successful session of pure food con-
gress, l rise to inquire il a pure drink
congress would not be. very properly,
the next thing in order. This seems to
be an occasion especially opportune to
call attention to that subject in view Of
the recent occurrence in San Francisco
which has attracted a good deal of at
tention and of which the Record
Union.'' commenting editorially on the
Z4th instant, said:
THE position of Naval Officer Irish
deserves the commendation of all four
square people. Someone without fear
OF conscience, care for the lives and
health of his fellows, or regard for the
| name of this State fixed up a carload
decoction of raw whisky, some grape
brandy, plenty of water and 'stiffen-
ing and sought to ship it East by au
thority of the Collector, labeled Pure
California Brandy This was stopped,
when the labels were changed to read,
California Brandy Thereupon the
Naval Officer interposed and forbade it's
shipment on the ground that it was a
cheat, was not California brandy, and
should therefore not go out under Gov
ernment sanction.
What they (the people, do wish to
know is this, is there no law by which
the public can be protected against
such outrageous frauds as this case dis
| closes? Is it not possible to protect
| the name and fame of California
against such tarnish and imposition as
the recited attempt has disclosed? Will
! the Federal Government permit it's
| agencies to be used to forward such in
famous schemes? Not that the Gov
| ernment customs officers are to become
| inspectors to ascertain whether all
goods passing through their hands are
what they purport to be- are pure and
| unadulterated, but whether, when un-
| blushing fraud is known, such as that
detailed above, the Government can still
| be made the patient beast of burden to
carry forward the crime?"
| Here we have the gist of the whole mat
! ter in a nutshell. There is no law by
which the good name of the State can be
protected, nor by which the good peo-
| pie of the State can be protected from
| frauds like the one here brought to light.
| This incident serves to throw a gleam of
| light on the every day occurring villainy
| that is practiced in the concoction and
adulteration of all sorts of alcoholic
| beverages. Every one who has paid any
attention to the whisky, brandy, gin and
various kinds of wines, and sometimes,
| too, the ale and beer that is found in
| saloons all over this State, knows that
these liquors as a rule are most villain
| Gus cOncoctions. Even the men who
drink these concotions seem to under
stand this, for you will be frequently in
vited to take a dose of pizen,'' of Mus
| tang Liniment," of undertaker's en-
| balming fluid" or sheep Dip" Wines
are frequently referred to as "Portu-
guese SOUP" or "Dago red and they are
| usually so bad that no name could be
selected that would convey any idea of
| their true inwardness.
| The local dealer or the saloon man is in
| very small degree responsible for this
| condition of affairs. 1t is the manufac
| turer and the wholesale liquor dealers
| that are responsible for most of this
concoctng and adulterating. The sa-
| loon man is often in debt to the whole
sale liquor dealer and is thus compelled
wholesale dealer feels disposed to send
| him.
| While the mixing of Fictitious alco-
| holic beverages is very extensively en-
gagged in, and without much regard to
| the killing properties of substances used,
| it is probably true that these mixtures
are doing the drinking public much less
harm than wines that are improperly
made and distilled liquors, whisky,
brandy etc, that are imperfectly recti-
| fed.
| 1t would be impossible to estimate the
| benefit that would arise to the people
| of the State from laws and regulations
! that would compel complete chemical
| examination and inspection of all alco-
| holic beverages that are offered for sale
| in the State or that are manufactured
| to be shipped outside of the State. 1t
seems to me that a pure drink congress
| for the State of California in the
near future is almost an absolute
necessity Such a congress should have
| for it's object the consideration of such
means as might be necessary to pre-
| vent frauds in the manufacture, con-
coction and Fictitious mixing Of all kinds
| of alcoholic beverages.
GEORGE w. COREY, NJ. d.
| Sacramento, May %. 1897.
!