Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-10-13
PURE FOOD LEGISLATION NEEDED.


For years past there has been a gen.
era! discussion of good roads, honest
elections, honest money and a thou
sand other subjects, all Of which ale
not half as important as honest food.
In this connection we are glad to note
that there is movement on foot in
this county, as well as in the State.
looking to the passage of laws that will
guarantee to all consumers pure food
of every description. Under present
conditions the people have no idea
what they eat these days. Adulera
tion has been given such a wide berth
that it has entered into everything we
eat and drink. Through our next
Legislature, we can, if we but make the
effort, put a stop to this nefarious
business of adulteration. Candidate
John w. Todd has declared himself
heartily in favor of such measure
and we have every reason to believe
that lie will have the cooperation OF
Senator Opie and Candidate Church
man, though the last named gentle
man has not stated his position.
To give our readers some idea why
they should be wide awake in this
matter we have only to quote from the
speech of the Hon. FL. G. Adams, Dairy
and Food Commissioner, of Wisconsin,
delivered in Boston last week before
the National Farmers Congress. Sc
Letting as his subject, 1.-THE Necessity
of Pure Food Legislation, he said:
"Pure food legislation means laws to
prevent the aduleration of food, to
protect the public health, to protect
consumers of food products from
fraudulent impositlons and producers
of these products from fraudulent COM
petition.
Men cannot be made honest by law,
but law can make dishonesty pay pen
atty when it steals the livery of honest
products to serve dishonest purpose
The universal demand for cheap things
brings supply. Wheat flour is adul-
terated with corn flour, buckwheat
WILL WuC6U luluuiluSbs c1mOAt LILO PiO
syrup is made that never saw Yer
mont. and is made from the sap OF
trees that grow in Chicago. Glucose
has dethroned cane syrup. Cider vim
egar is distilled from grain. A good
portion of the strained honey of com
merce never produced any strain upon
the bees.
"Milk is robbed of its cream, filed
with lard and sent all over the world
to ruin the reputation OF American
cheese. Borax and formaldchyde go
into milk to kill babies and weaken in
valids. Oysters are partially embalm-
ed with chemicals. Lemon extracts
are made without lemon oil, and vanilla
extracts without vanilla.
1.-THE hogs of the North compete
with cheap cottonseed oil of the South
and mix in the same tub under the ban
ner of lard. Artificial smoke is made
for hams out of poisonous drugs. Jel.
lies, colored in imitation of the natural
fruits and sold as fruit jellies, food
the markets.
1.-The embalmed beef business has
been exaggerated, but we do not need
any for either soldiers or civilians.
Canned fruits are preserved with an
tiseptics which delay the digestive
processes.
"Spices enriched with pepper hulls
and ground cocoanut shells are manu-
featured and sold by the ton. Cheap
ness is secured by these authorizations
and false labelings, and the people are
defrauded.
1.-The food question is a serious one
1T is important to every man. woman
and child in the land. 1t concerns the
public health. 1t touches the public
pocket. Pure food laws are designed
for the protection of both. Their neces-
sity has been recognized by every
European government, with England
leading, in 1875. These laws are not
class legislation, as their enemies con-
tend. They are primarily for the ben
eft of consumers, who include all
classes. incidentally they help the
producers of honest articles of food.
Pure food legislation should be
both State and national. State legis,
lation has been generally sustained by
the courts, and has been effective. We
need g. comprehensive national pure
food law.
This question of the character of
the food supply of 100000 of people
is not one to be settled by doctrinaries
Or hair-splitting constitutional law
yers. 1t will be settled as it is being
settled. by the voice of the consumers
of food products. demanding laws
which compel these products, if sold,
to be honest and healthful."
When Col. E. F. Vincent was in
travail, and laboring to decide whether
he should respond favorably or I'M
favorably to that flattering call, he is
reported to have hesitated as he read
over the names. "These are good mem"
said he, but they are visionary, or
they are too busy with their own
affairs 10 give attention to elections,
or they are not politicians, or not
speakers, and cannot canvass the coun-
ty," but when he had read nearly to
the end of the chapter his eyes rested
on the names of E. A. Fulcher and D.
w. Drake. Doubt is said no longer to
have s.. aged his judgment OF caused
his willing heart to throb. "Thess are
not open to the above objections" he
is reported to have said, and FROM that
moment he faltered not, he enned his
reply and placed himself in the hands
of his friends.
The statement has appeared in the
Richmond NEWSPAPERS and sent ont TO