The times., 1899-01-19
The Pure Food and Drug Con.
gress in Session.
WELCOMED TO THE CITY
President BIackburn's Interesting
Address-Sccrctary Wilson's Re-
narks-COmmittee on Credentials
Namcd-Othcr Business Transacted
Three Sessions to he Held To-day.


| dent of the organization, in the lecture
! hall of the Columbian University, yester-
| day afternoon, shortly before l o'clock.
| On the platform were Secretary Wilson
and Assistant Secretary Brigham, of the
! Agriculture Department, the Hon. John
! b. Wight, Commissioner of the District
! of Columbia; Frank Hume, Recording
! Secretary Wedderburn, and W. S. Thomp-
! son, of this city.
! The recording secretary was kept busy
registering the numerous delegates and
| distributing the official badges. The sec
retary has requested that the delegates
| present their certificates TO him at the
earliest possible moment as he is com
J PEELED to make the returns before the end
2 of the convention.
/ After the meeting had been called TO
! order the Rev. Byron Sunderland offered
/ prayer. At the conclusion of the invoca-
! tion Commissioner John B. Wight was
! introduced and welcomed the delegates TO
| the city on behalf of the District officials.
| He had had the pleasure of attending the
| meetings of the congress last spring, on
| the occasion of its first convention, he
! said, and he hoped that the stay of the
I delegates in the city at this time would
| be as pleasant and as beneficial in its re-
| suits. Frank Hume welcomed the mem
/ bers of the congress on behalf of the local
1
! of the organization of the congress. He
/ said the necessity for such an organza-
! ton had long existed and he thought its
/ benefits could not be overestimated.
/ Adulteration is one OF the worst forms
: of fraud. Mr.. Hume said he hoped that
/ the congress would accomplish the labors
I it had planned last year.
| President Blackburn then read his an
nual address. His remarks were confined
/ principally TO the stand taken by the or
! ganization in connection with the bill now
! before Congress designed TO prevent the
/ adulteration of foods. He said in part:
The question OF what shall eat has been
neglected subject ever since Eve ate the apple IN
( the Garden OF Eden. What myriad oi evils
| would have been avoided had not the first Of all
( purc-food laws been violated.
The measure We are here TO consider is not Of
( iefed IS cure-ali in any sense. NO one. not
even it, most ardent friends, considers IT pana-
cea for all the ills that aitiGt our food supply.
I Neither do think that the tTin sister Of
/ fraud-the harlot adulteration-yill 'bc an impos-
/ sible creature when this bill becomes law.
( Since the great lawgiver OF Mount Sinai issued
! that immortal edict: Thou sln,it not steal, men
( have stolen, and will steal, until the end of
time
The Declaration Of Independence claimed all
! men were created free and equal; that they were
/ endowed by their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights, yet slavery existed for hrcc-quartcrs
/ Of = century after the adoption and recognition of
! that doctrine The most sacred laws OF God and
! man arc daily hourly violated, aud / am sure
there are those who will attempt to violate this
| important and righteous measure.
While this bill does not do all we could wish,
does not meet all the objections that have been
or will be raised against it, it viii and does do
much that needs to be done. and Will be certain
to render aduiteration hazardous, less profitable,
/ and exposure quick and certain. think the
least observing aud the most skeptical will agree
( that it is high time that the many State meas
protect the public health aud secure pnri-
ty in our food should have their principal fea-
lures crystaliized into national statute, that all
States NAV engratt their legislative twlgs on the
national vine. and thus develop the fruits Of
T., legislation on harmonious, progressive and uni
form lines.
No national law on this subject will fully
meet the views or satisfy the desires Of all the
many States and Territories of this great coun-
i do not believe it possible that such law can
do 20. The critics will say the law Is imperfect.
and We answer: I'VE aware of that They
tell the law has defects, and we reply
SHOW rs law that has not
The fort built to protect country may lie
| full Of loopholcs. but il Is a fort. and de-
sirable protection. nevertheless.
II would he strange. indeed, ii a bill Of this
character. representing, as it doe: in more or
less detail. the ideas of scores OF States and
thousands Of people, did not invoke and invite the
criticism oi many honest and well nearing lndi-
yidusls.
doubt not there are Jew of MS but would like
to this measure changed i'll some particulars.
for could make several suggestions that
would in my opinion. improve tile measure ana
| render II more efficient, effective and desirable.
But what / would offer might he considered 10y
some wholly irrelevant and useless and what
others might suggest | might think Weakening.
rather than strengthening. a huTtiul rather than
helpful to the proposed law.
The measure as II stands now is long, sturdy
step in the right direction; strong prop upon
which to hang hopes; a substantial iOundl-
tion upon which to erect magnificent structure.
II will ef'ectually stop many evils with which we
contend; right many wrongs, thus bringing jus
ticc where Justice is stranger, and protecting
those needing protection, Yet utterly unable 10
protect Themselves 1t will render adulteration
difficult, detection sure more effective remedy
than any which has been proposed, considered or
enacted.
1t represents the concrete experience OF many
years, and the bcs, thoughts oi studious minds
II cinbudes the compromise views of those who
have long considered the important and far
reaching questions with which it deals. do not
hesitate to say IT is Z compromise measure, all
such laws and always must be-, compro-
miscs. II must Toe expanded and contracted
to meet the composite mental structure which
gives il being and stands sponsor for its neces-
| sity. | believe with fair and rational treatment
this measure j. capable Of great and lasting good.
It IS important that it should br made law
during the present Congress. therefore urge
you 10 be your guard against proposed amend
mcnts. scan well their origin, and consider long
their purpott. BE not moved by shallow seni-
mrnt turned by loose, light logic. Il-
juI" you my fricnd-. Ia stand As one man for the
main features Of this measure,
| There Is good reason for the adoption OF this
measure. No city or hamlet is free from adulter-
alton and one Of the Peculiarites Of the business
is that tie farther away from home an adultera-
ton gets the more respectable il appears. There
is need for this bill from one end Of our country
| 10 the other.
would have You each and all call upon every
Senator and Congressman while in The city, and
urge the Importance and the necessity for the pas
of this hill pledge them, II You can, 10 sup
port it, Tell them that while they lrgislate for
those recently come under the and pro
| ~ thought heed