The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-22
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor -.
Was 1t Indeed "worthless," aud whyg

press has been quarrying facts which
are fictions, wisdom which is foolish
ness, and constitutional law formulated
by briehess barrister, w. H. Parker
says of oleo bill 515 which was enacted
into law by the Legislature of 1884:
That bill amounts to absolutely nothing,
and nothing has come of it since it became
law. 1t is worthless
This pronouncement has been taken
up by the Grout papers and "ICamounts
TO absolutely nothing, it is worthless"
has been echoed from every editorial
perch where roosts Grout cuckoo.
The impression sought to be con-
veyed is that oleomargine factories
were in full blast in the State in 1884,
and still are; that oleomargarine was
flooding the State, and still is; that the
Parker bill, enacted into law, would
have extinguished these factories and
rolled back the tide of oleomargarne
that was setting in on the State and
drowning out the dairy interest; that
bill 515 which Dillingham; favored and
which became law was utterly pow
erless to shut up these factories and
stem these rising and inflowing floods
of grease fashioned into the shape and
semblance of dairy butter.
What were the real facts and circum-
stances of the situation in question in
1884, and what are the real facts and
circumstances at the present time?
Was there an oleomargarine factory, or
butter imitation factory of any kind,
in the State in 1884? Has there been
in the State any factory of the sort
since that timer Is there such fac
tory any where in the State at the
present time?
Was there any appreciable traffic in
oleomargarine, or imitation butter of
any sort, in Vermont in 1884, has there
since been, or is there nowP Has there
been in Vermont wholesale dealer in
the stuff at any time in the past, or is
there such dealer at the present time?
10 what extent, if any at all, have re-
tail grocers, or any other tradesmen,
been selling oleomargarine, or are sell
ing it at the present time?
Any person who has been living in
Vermont for the past sixteen years, or
any part of that period, can either
answer these queries offhand or can
easily inform himself in respect of
them. The facts or the sources OF in
formation are at his elbow. There was
not in 1884 an cleo manufacturer to be
taxed Is cents pound on his product,
has not since been and is none now.
There was not then, has not since
been and is not now wholesale dealer
in imitation butter to be taxed an an
nual license fee of $40, 900, and if there
is or has been retail dealer from
whom an annual license fee of $4,000
could be exacted the "police powers"
OF the United States internal revenue
officers, under the law of 1886, have not
succeeded in unearthing such q case,
according to the best information and
belief of persous interested in the dis
covery of such illegitimate selling.
Equally has there been a scarcity of
occasion for the execution of the law
of 1884, or subsequent laws on this SUBJ
ject.
1t would not be surprising if in some
of the largest communities in Vermont
here and there an INSCRIPTIONS retail
er-some relative of Grout cleo edi-
tor possiblY-may have at some time
clandestinely sold spurious butter, but
the opportunities for this traffic in Ver-
mont are most unfavorable. 1t is
butter State. A large proportion of
the consumers are owners of one COW
at least and make their own butter; a
large proportion buy their butter of
known makers of the dairy product;
the retail dealers are generally honest
and sell honest butter. Vermont was
in 1884, and is still, most unfavorable
field for the making or sale of any imi-
tation of butter, as much 80 as for any
substitute for maple sugar.
In view of the facts and conditions
existing in Vermont in 1884, or at the
present time, the Parker bill was the
bull against the comet, tilt with a
wind mill, measure aimed at a nom
existing or imaginary foe. The bill
which passed fully met existing or pos
sible conditions. 1t was wise mea-
sure; it was, however, to large ex-
tent precautionary in its purpose, rather
than remedy for evils then present in
the industrial or commercial body. AS
confrmatory of this fact the state ment
of General Grout himself, in his calloquy
with McCreary of Kentucky, in the
fiftieth Congress, page 81 of his "re-
cord" is here cited:
Kentucky has 1876 dealers in oleomargar-
inc 7DhiIe Vermont has nOne