Evening star., 1897-04-09
National Interest Excited Over the
Case Against Wilkins and Butler.
FEAR THAT IT WILL Be COMPROMISED
A Review of the Conditions Sur
rounding the Subject.
SOME DEV ELOP NJ E n T S

the case pending in Philadelphia against
Joseph Wikirs of the firm of wilkins &
Co. of this city. and Howard Butler, an
employe of the firm. who were indicted by
the Philadelphia grand jury for an alleged
fiagrant violation of the oleemargarine law
committed in December last. The an
nouncement in The Evening Star some
weeks ago that the commissioner of in
ternal revenue was considering the ad-
visibility of compromising this case and
accepting a large sum of money from
the representative Of the defendants in
lieu of pushing their trial created great in
terest among the reputable persons engaged
in dairy interests throughout the country,
and the question has now become national
In its Importance The produce exchanges
of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore,
the powerful and extensive National Dairy
Union, the state dairy commissioners OF
Iowa, Wisconsin and other states have all
Joined in a unanimous demand that the
case be allowed TO go to trial and the de-
PENDANTS, Wilkins and Butler, compelled
to abide by the result.
A Larger Amount of Money Wanted.
Secretary of the Treasury Gage was also
visited by The Star reporter and asked
what policy would be pursued by the Treas
Try De partment in regard to the matter.
Secretary Gage replied that he would up
hold the commissioner and the deputy
commissioner of internal revenue in any
conclusion they might arrive at In the
premises, adding, however, that the amount
offered by the representatives of wilkins
and Butler so far was not anything like
the figure that would be required for such
a settlement of the case.
1t was currently reported at the time that
the defendants or their representatives
maze the offer that the sum proposed to be
paid to secure them immunity. from pros
in, .Iola a1r,hj
missioner Forman, quoted in The Star
several weeks ago, stated that II COM
promise was effected the amount which it
would be necessary for the defendants to
pay would be so large that it would pre-
vent them from further violations of the
law.
No Compromise Should he Considered.
The representatives of the dairy inter-
ests, as well the persons who are famil
lar with the widespread violation of the
oleomargarine law and the imposition prac-
ticed upon the purchasing public, claim
that the treasury officials should reject all
offers to compromise no matter how much
morey may be proffered by the parties un-
der Indictment.
1t is said to be wel-known fact, which
is not denied at the internal revenue bu
reau. that Mr.. wilkins has heretofore paid
large amounts of money into the Treasury
Department for the purpose of securing
immunity from prosecution at the hands
OF the government on charges brought by
the special agents of the internal revenue
office. 1t is also declared to be a fact that
Mr. Wilkins, on several occasions, when
allowed to compromise charges brought
against him in connection with alleged vio-
lations of the oleoInargarine law, acknowl-
edged that he had been careless in respect
to these laws, and faithfully promised that
he would not be guilty of further infrac
tions of them
Sure of n Conviction.
Special Agent Bowen of the internal rev.
enue bureau, who MADE the charges against
Wilkins and Butler and secured their in
dictment by the Philadelphia grand jury
after arresting them in this city, expresses
himself as absolutely sure that the testi-
mony in his possession will secure con-
viction of the defendants if they are
brought to trial in the Philadelphia court.
In spite of these facts, however, there is a
general feeling of anxiety among those
who have the upholdng of the oleomarga-
rine law at heart that the will be
compromised, and 1t is declared with much
emphasis that morally, at least. such ac-
tion by the Treasury Department would be
little less reprehe1sible than the compTo-
mise of case involving the laws against
counterfeiting when the secret service
agents have caught the alleged violators
in the very act.
The Treasury Department is known to be
very proud of the vast iscretonary power
repoSed in 1t by which it is allowed TO de-
eide whether cases involving violations of
the internal revenue laws and regulations
shall be prosecuted by the legal officers .f
the government or made the medium of
increasing the fraud fund of the Treasury
Department by letting the alleged violators
buy immunity from prosecution and thus
save themselves from the publicity that
would ensue in trials by quietly paying
stated sums that might be agreed upon into
the internal revenue bureau.
A BIT of OIeO History.
When The Evening Star first began It's
inquistion into the subject of the violations
of the oleomargarne laws in the District
of Columbia and learned that the policy of
the internal revenue bureau was to compro-
mise the cases of persons who might be
involved in such violations instead of bring
ing them TO trial. a Star reporter asked the
commissioner of internal revenue, who was
then Mr.. Joseph S. Miller the reasons why
this course was pursued. when il virtually
meant premium on continued violations
of tie laws and regulations of the Treas
ury Department. Mr.. Miller replied that
the internal revenue authorities were con-
fronted by the fact that the Oleomargarin
laws seem to be weak and that the regula-
lions established by the commissioner of
internal revenue were believed to be lack
ing in certain respects and might not be
upheld by courts in case these alleged Vio-
ldtlOnS OF Sucn regulations were pldceQ on
trial. The Star reporter suggested that the
best way to establish the validity of the
oleomargarine laws and the regulations
governing the sale of oleomargarine issued
by the internal revenue bureau with the
approval of the Secretary of the Treasury
would De to secure Indictments against
parties in the District of Columbia who
were suspected of selling oleomargarine H.
legally, and thus bring the stability of the
laws and regulations to a test
Inf Snf n. 4 n A n
Thereupon Mr. Miller sent for Mr. We'll
born Colquitt, the chief of the special
agents of the internal revenue bureau, and
Instructed him to clean up the oleomar-
garine law violators in the District. With
the shrewdness and energy and loyalty
that has characterized Mr.. ColQuitt ever
since he has been connected with the in
ternal revenue branch of the Treasury De-
partment he addressed himself to the duty
imposed upon him. and the result of his
work and that of the agents he assigned to
1t was that in a short time over forty in
dictments were found against local dealers
a a a u n u 4