The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-10
THE PURE FOOD CRUSADE.

| A few days ago San Francisco court
said from the bench to health officers
| who had made arrests for sale of i'm
pure food offered as pure, that it was
to be hoped there would be no rush
ing in the business, and tina. only a
few arrests would be made to warn the
| offenders, etc. There seems to be in
the minds of some people in this world,
room for the sickly and unmanly senti-
ment that trade precedes all else and
for it all other considerations must give
way; that the road to reform lies
through mercy and warning and wait
ing. In this matter, however, the Board
of Health of San Francisco. happily
for the people. entertains very differ
ent kind of sentiment.
| 1t holds that the health and lives of
the people are of supremest Importance
and therefore the assault upon health
and life by deleterious and poisonous
clear that it will not be brought to
an end by pushing a few and letting
the many offenders escape. The propo-
sition is very simple and lucid, namely,
certain men are selling goods for food
that are poisonous and nutritious
and deleterious to health, but which
purport to be healthful, nutritious and
wholesome. Such sales are in violation
of the law. They ought, therefore, to
wholly cease and at once. To arrest
and punish some and permit others to
| work off their poisonous stocks, that
they may not lose money, is equivalent
to saying that life and health Of inno-
cent people must be sacrificed to COM
mercial greed or need-no matter
which.
| The Board of Health has acted prop
erly in the matter. Impure food is I'M
fit to eat; it's sale is unlawful. Nothing
can therefore justify it, and il should
wholly cease. The way to work cessa-
ton of such sales it to punish all who
indulge in them. Admit that this will
work a hardship financially upon some
or many dealers, what of it? Shall they
or the consumers bear the ills of fraud,
deceit and adulteration?
However the Board of Health of San
Francisco has conceded this much, and
il cannot assuredlv be asked to grant
any more than that, namely, that here
after prosecutions shall be directed
first against dealers in articles of food
that are absolutely injurious to health
and dangerous to life; secondly. against
dealers who sell articles for food that
are absolute limitations; thirdly, against
those who in any other way violate the
pure-food law
This is certainly fair and ought to
satisfy the sentimentalists who fear
that officers may go so far as 70 injure
the market for California products by
prosecutions under the law. That plea
is insulting. Must our people be poi
soned their stomachs ruined and their
lives sacrificed because of the fear that
Eastern merchants may advertise that
impure food goods, and therefore it will
be well to avoid all California products?
| The fact is that most of the deceitful
goods, the frauds and limitations come
from the Eastern markets and manu-
facturers; that very little if any fraud
has been found in California goods, and
that we can trust to the truth justify
| ing us whatever it may, be.
Helloi Helloi What is this? The dis
patches say that Secretary Sherman Off
cially announces that General Rivera
will not be tried and executed by the
Spanish in Cuba, but will be treated as
a prisoner Of war" Then there is state
of war in Cuba? One cannot be a pris-