Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-26
TWELVE PAGES
THURSDAY. JANUARY &c, 1899.
"THE WISDOM OF OUR FATHERS

The joke of progress is "the wisdom
of our fathers" but 1t is we'll said that
they laugh best who laugh last and it
is very likely that our fathers will have
the laugh on progress as to wisdom"
If not as to other matters. From 1850 to
within very recent years. there was n
general hue and cry against inspection
laws and all restraints on trade" as
all statute and common-law regula tons
of buying and selling were called In
spectlons of tobacco, of fish. of flour.
and other things, including weights
and measures, were inveighed against
as provisions of the dark ages; they
must be repealed. as they added to the
costs of all inspected commodities,
when the laws of trade were sufficient
to insure that dealers would be sure to
keep the best; and so most inspection
laws were repealed. while others we're
held obsolete. antiquated and in con-
fiict with the spirit of the age by the
courts, and little or nothing OF the
whole system of inspection was left
or If any remained. it was no longer
compulsory, but left voluntary with
producers and dealers.
very strange inconsistency occur
red however, in Virginia legislation on
this subject. After the repeal of the
laws compelling the inspection OF tobac-
co by impartial public inspectors in the
very year the General Assembly re-
pealed the inspection of flour and fish
1t actually passed q stringent statute
imposing an examination of all physi-
the necessity Of inspecting the qualifi-
cations of the peoples doctors, but ig-
noring the equally necessary inspec ton
OF the qualities Of the peoples drugs
and medicines and revolving existing
inspection of the peoples food!
This cry for abolishing silly and anti
quated restrictions on trade was gene
raj over the whole country, ana there
ensued general abolition not only of
all inspections, but of all laws against
engrossinG monopoly, forestalling
Gornering). regulating (speculating by
raising the price on articles bought up
In the same market, &c, &c. Since
then the laws Of trade" have develop
ed every imaginable rascality. in adul-
is what it seems or claims to be.
Government and people, in war and
peace, are swindled egregiously in
everything they buy: Our flour is mixed
with Indian corn meal, and various
white earths; our meat may be only
"embamed beef" Everything we eat
may be- and probably is, some delete
rious compound: everything we drink
is more or less doctorcd: and we are
cheated In quality, price and quantity
In an attempt to assert a counterfeit
wisdom over the real wisdom of our
fathers, and to enable impostors to en-
joy the laws of trade that irresistibly
impel them to every expedient TO chousc
us from the cradle to grave.
We lose more every day by the alb
sencc of inspection than an efficient
and thoroughly well organized system
Of inspection. in all essential things,
would cost us month. And this bust
ness under 1.-THE laws OF trade" has
just fairly got under way. Already all
sensible and thoughtful people are de-
manding OF state and Federal govern
ment the restoration of inspection and
of safeguarding provisions against the
INSCRIPTIONS license of trade and spec
ulation, and before long our own bitter
experience will amply vindicate 1.-The
wisdom of our fathers II II has not
yet done so.
We assume that our ancestors who
established these laws nf insneotion
and in restraint of the evil practices