Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-01

ttASil liile lHty promptly renewed their
practice.
Old Objections Removed
a couple of years ago It was claimed by
the authorities of the interna, revenue bu-
reau that the laws and regulations govern
ing the sale of oeomargarine were not
strong enough framed carefully enough
to insure conviction in case offenders
against them We're put on trial At present
this excuse will not hold good any more
than a sieve will hold water In the local
cise tried here IN the District, in which
WI kes {. Prather was indicted, convicted
and sentenced to pay fine and go to Jail
Tor tWenty-fOur hours the issue was raised
that the regulations issued by the internal
revenue commissioner and approved by the
Secretary OF the Treasury were illegal The
United States Supreme Court declared that
such regulations. made in accordance with
authority specifically vested in the officials
mentioned by an act of Congress- were
legal and binding
Even, therefore, if the claim of the in
ternal revenue bureau that the regulations
We're not sufficient true, the commits
sioner of internal revenue could with the
approval of the Secretary of the Treasury,
make regulations that would adequately re-
move all objections, if the latter are real,
to the existing regulations.
The Record of the Courts.
So far as the representation about the
weakness of the oleomargarine laws is COLI
cerned, the court of appeals for the eastern
district of Pennsylvania declared to the
contrary in the cases of Wilkins and Butler
and declared so most unequivocaIly and
emphatically, and the United States Su-
preme Court, in declining to grant the writ
of certiorari in the same cases, affirmed the
same thing with equal earnestness. The
general opinion existing among that great
portion of the public familiar with the ia
grant and open violation of oleomargari!Ie
laws, which includes all the dairymen and
nearly all the farmers well as Others is
that the internal revenue bureau counte-
nances the frauds and invites their con-
stant repetition because thereby the re-
ceipts in the shape of Compromises are.
substantially increased.
When the real conditions are understood
one is almost inclined to excuse those who
forget the aphorism that 1.-The government
can 90 no wrong, and declare that the
policy of the internal revenue bureau in
perslstentiy selling leniency to oleomarga-
rlne Offenders for Compromise money is
very like compouhGlng felonies 1t is well
known the bureau even recommended the
acceptance of the offer of the representa-
t.ves of Wilkins and Butler to give IS 900 IN
lieu of standing trial for their fragrant
onense in Philadelphia, when the men were
watched and arrested by two of the bu-
reau.s own special agents Messrs. Bowen
and Van Horn. The probabilities are strong
that amaZement similar to that of Secre-
tary Wilson may be experienced ere long
by certain other abinet officers and con-
siderable number OF the members Of the
TWO houses of Congress, ard effort made
to discover just what stupendous power it
Is that permits a bureau of the United
States government to apparently put
premium on a fraud which is rracticed in
order to victimiZe by the meanest sort of
imposition great part of the American
people and injure the interests of that
greater part comprising the farmers and
dairymen. In this connection it may be
stated that agents of the internal revenue
bureau within the past few months made
cases against several persons in the Dis
tIict for violating the oleomargarne law, as
well as against parties at Cumberland who
We're caught 'stripping'' packages of the
stuff. No legal steps toward prosecution,
however, have been taken SO far as known.
1t is expected that the opinion of Attor-
ney General GTigss upon the application for
pardon of Wilkins and Butler will be short
ly sent to the President, and the final dis
position of the notorious case will be await
ed with deep interest.