The record-union., 1897-12-28
THE PURE FOOD AGITATION.

Referring to the law against the
adulteration Of food, drink and medi-
cine. the San Jose Mercury" says, that
while it is true that the law was vigi-
many months energy in that direction
seems to now have suddenly ceased,
and apparently without any sufficient
reason. Is our contemporary sure that
it is correct in this statement? May
it not be that the success of the cru
sade of some months ago resulted in
cessation of offending on the part of
dealers? May it not be that, finding
the law would hold water, and that the
officers appointed would enforce it,
that both jobbers and retailers have so
largely ceased to offer doctored goods
as to render much publicity of the eva
sion of the law no longer a matter of
news record in the press of that city?
Let us hope so.
After demonstrating the soundness
and efficacy Of the law, and proving
that it can be enforced, it is unthink-
able that the officials entrusted with
such enforcement would abandon effort
in that direction. Such action on
their part would raise the presumption
of dishonesty and hush money.
The Mercury" is somewhat inclined
to adopt the philosophy of the Record
Union" which it quotes as saying that
people, who knowing their rights, and
that IN California We have the pure
bases for pure goods in all fruit and
berry lines, and for concoction of
sauces and relishes, and yet prefer the
false and injurious because of the
In plenty of the poisonous articles of
food, and the sooner get out of the
way and off the earth
The Mercury" very truly says, as
has the Record Union" from the be-
ginning:
If people will ask for and demand
genuine goods, they will get them. If
they prefer to eat poisonous foods, they
viii have no difficulty in buying them
AT the same time the sale of adulter-
ated and imitation food products is in
juriug this State to the extent Of
millions Of dollars every year, and
consumers and honest producers and
manufacturers should see that the law
prohibiting the sale Of such stuff is
strictly and universally enforced.
prominent grocer, writing to the
''Recocd-Union" on the subject, says:
Il am willing to sell pure goods and
refuse entry to my store of any adul-
terated, doctored and imitation ar-ti-
cles. But the pure article comes high
er, and I find that perhaps the major
ity Of my customers, people of aver
age ways Of living as well as the poor
er. regard quantity and cheapness as
essentials, and Will cali for and will
have the spurious food, even when I
warn them that possibly that which
is labeled pure under foreign title
may be and most likely is counterfeit.
They appear to be desirous Of taking
their chances. Shall I therefore be
punished by the loss of custom by re-
~ooAS W SSA NudI my customers Qe-
mand?"
The answer Is apparent. No, nor
does the law require 1t Of you The
way out is indicated in the law, n4ne-
iy, label the goods you sell for what
they really are. Refuse to sell as pure
that which is not pure-that is, label
Truthfully and Won viII ba aoor;t+ad
OF man and the law. The truth is.
however, that the impure, the adul-
terated and spurious food is not cheap
er. Actually it costs the most.
For it is susceptible of easy demon
stTation that the impure article is so
much less nutritious, so much less
bodybuilding and DEMONSTRATING that
lar greater amount Of any given i'm
station article is required. And since
the impure and poisonous bring to the
user sc many ills, and such cost to
counreract them, the eheapness of the
article rises into actual extravagance.
But 10 get the buyers, the mass of
buyers, to accept these truths-there is
the rub. To such mission the pro-
ducers Of and manufacturers of food
in California could. to their great profit
and the good OF the people, diligently
devote themselves.