The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-27

A Washington dispatch summarizing the
annual report of the secretary of agricul-
ture says that a large portion Of it covers
the subject of animal industry. Many
other topics are touched upon, showing the
wide scope of the activities and usefulness
Of this department Of the government, but
the largest space is given to the subject
above named. 1t is one Of great impOr-
tance to American farmers. since it en-
braces not only the improvement of grades
and protection of the health of farm ami
mails, but the promotion of the exports of
American meat. including all kinds of beef
and hog products. The magnitude Of this
business appears in the fact that our ex-
ports of animals and animal products dur
ing the last fiscal year exceeded $3.50. 600, 900
in value. This enormous business is the
result of many years of continuous effort
and is largely due to the labors OF the
Bureau of Animal Industry in establishing
and maintaining the standard of Amer
lean meats. This has been done in the
face of persistent opposition and repeated
efforts by foreign governments TO exclude
our animal pIOuuClS OH the ground lndI
they were diseased, in~adequately inspected,
improperly cured or packed. or other equal
" frivolous grounds. Thanks to the eff
forts of the Bureau of Animal Industry
these charges have been completely dis
proved by a system of inspection so thor
stand on.
The bureau was created by an act of
Congress passed in 1854 entitled IAN act
to establish a bureau of animal industry.
to prevent the expectation of diseased cat
tie, and to provide means for the suppress
sion and extirpation of pleuro-pneumonia
and other contagious diseases among do
nestle nimals." The passage of this bill
was the first national legislation on the
subject. and, although the law has been
in force only about eighteen years. it has
been of untold value to American farmers
and grazers. At the time of its passage
the bill was opposed by most of the Dem
ocrats in Congress on the ground that it
infringed on State rights by giving the ma
tional government too great powers for the
e%xtirpation of cattle diseases in the States
and in the prevention of the expectation
Of diseased meats. a Democratic repre-
sentative. speaking against the bin. said:
1t should be declared a bill to abrogate
and annul the Constitution of the United
States and deprive the States of the rights
which belong TO them 1t is a bill which
strikes directly at the roots of the rights
of the State, a bill which undertakes TO
make the President of the United States
a master of the people of this great con-
federation OF States. Mr.. Chairman. L can
not characterize this bill in ten minutes.
but i ask gentlemen To examine il with
care. II is one OF the wedges which we
have driven into the constitutional rights
OF the States. Beware of those wedges.
There have been plenty in the past. Let US
see 10 it there shall be fewer OF them I'm
the future.
Such predictions nave been made by
Democratic statesmen very often, but in
this. as In other cases. they nave failed
Of verihcation. The bill which created the
Bureau of Animal Industry attached 1t
to the Department of Agriculture and pro-
vided~ among other things. for the inspec-