The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-08
ITS EFFECT.
The Defeat of the OIeOmarga-
rine Bill
By the Republican House May
Defeat
The Republican Ticket at the
Next Election.
FARMERS REMEMBER
Who Were For or Against Them
Quite a Long Time.
A Leading Republican Paper
Scores the HOues.

The Abilene Daily Reflector. published
in the heart of the dairy district of
Kansas, says:
On Saturday by a vote of So to SO
the Republican house of representatives
refused to reconsider the anti-oleomar-
garine bill.
The agricultural committee, in whose
hands it had been previously, reported
it adversely and the house endorsed it's
action. Representative Grosser OF this
county, the author of the bill, made a
gallant fight for it and both before the
committee and on the floor of the house
led the battle bravely-but the odds
were against him. Added to the Popu-
lists, who opposed it almost to a man,
enough Republicans voted against the
interests of the dairymen, creamery
patrons and farmers to defeat the
measure.
The anti oleomargarine bill has been
before the Kansas legislature on pre-
vious occasions. Against it have been
arrayed, as now, the packing houses of
Kansas City, Kan, which are interest
ed in being allowed to manufacture oleo
in the guise of butter and selling it in
competition with the products of the
dairy. The Kansas farmers ask that it
shall be sold on its merits; that it shall
not be made and colored in imitation
of butter. and that the purchaser and
user shall know what he has before
him. The Populists defeated the bill
two years ago and in the last campaign
the Republicans abused them for such
aCL1On. 1t is q strange commentary on
political consistency that enough repre-
sentatiVes voted with the Populists to
defeat the same bill in a Republican
house. The Republican members so re-
creant to the interests of their constit-
uents deserve the severest condemna-
ton and should be lined up so that their
standing may be known. They knew
better down deep in their hearts and
ought to have considered the interests
of Kansas more carefully.
Kansas prides itself on being a dairy
state. 1t is proud that it is building up
a great creamery industry and hopes to
make a still greater fame. 1t is putting
money in the pockets of the farmers
and has tided them over many a hard
year. Yet there is a constant cOmpeti-
ton with the packing house product of
oleomargarine, manufactured so as to
deceive purchasers and sold SO cheap
as to drive much of the pure butter
from the market. The Kansas farmers
ask that it shall be sold for oIeomargar-
Inc under it's own name and on its own
merits. The packing houses of Kansas
City want to put it on the market as
butter. 1t i'll becomes the legislature
of Kansas to vote for the packing
houses and against the farmers of the
state. Thirty-three states in the union
have an anti-oleO law. Missouri has
one. The packing houses make their
product on this side of the line. Kan
sas, an agricultural state, and which is
striving to build up creamery indus
try, makes a fine spectacle of itself de-
feating such a measure.
Every farmer who sells milk to the
creamery, every farmers wife who sells
butter to the store or to private Gus
toners, will feel the effect of the houses
action. The butter of Kansas will con-
tinue to fight its way against the prod
uct of the packing house.
Dickinson county, the banner cream
cry county of the state, hoped to see it's
leading industry given fair show. The
house has made a legislative mistake
and one that will react on those re-
sponsible for it.
1t is not too late again to consider the
bill and if the Republicans are wise
they will do so and before the end of
the session pass it in the interest of a
great Kansas industry.