The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-04
THE CIRCUIT RuI

Same properly made IS unWhole
some. 1t is not even claimed that color
ed oleomargarine is unwholesome. 1t is
as harmless as colored butter and we
all know that much if not most, of the
butter in the market is colored.
oleomargarIne is made of animal fats,
mainly tallow. The Grout bill pro-
poses to put a tax of cents pound
on uncolored oleomargarine and 10 cents
pound on colored. 1t is argued that
people will not buy the uncoIored article
on account of its appearance, and that
the Decent tax will make the coIored
article cost more than real butter.
Hence, it is concluded that this bill will
practically prohibit the manufacture of
oleomargarine and thus confer a great
benefit on dairy farmers.
OF course, the law has a perfect right
to require an article to be sold under
its proper name and prevent cheap
substitute from being passed off on the
consumer for the genuine article But
oleomargarine is as wholesome as
and satisfactory substitute for peo-
pie who cannot indulge their McKin-
ley prosperity in the triple X cream
cry brand. Oleomargarine is made
mainly of tallow The states and terri
tories of the West and Southwest are
devoted chiefly to raising stock for the
market The manufacture of oleo-
margarine being stopped. every COW and
steer sold to be slaughtered. will bring
from So to 81 less, because there will be
- much less use for The ta1Iow II
such a law did benefit the dairy farm
ers of Minnesota, it would mean a loss
on every animal for the stock raisers
of the West and Southwest, who do not
engage in dairy farming. Is it honest
and lawful to cripple one legitimate in
dustry in order to benefit another? To
prohibit the raising of cotton in the
South for the benefit of the wool grow
ers of the North? Wonder if the farm
ers of Minnesota appreciate this phase
of it? Wonder If they propose to stand
sition to rob the farmers of other Sec
tons? AS a bald, unblushing piece of leg
lslative robbery, it scarcely las an equal.
Republican photographers are making
great sport of the Porto Rican legisla-
ture but all the bills PROPOSED there
breathe the wisdom ard justice of Scion,
compared to this
While this bill would mean a clean
steal out of the pockets of farmers who
are not engaged in dairy farming, 1t
would be far from clear gain for dairy
farmers themselves, even if it should In
crease the price of butter, for every
dairy farmer also sells cattle for
slaughter, and he would suffer the same
loss of from three to four dollars head
as the rest, and after he had deducted
this loss from his gain on the butter
there probably wouldn't be much left
1t would depreciate the dairy farmers
stock, in order to give him little more
for his butter.
While It would thus be a piece of dis
honesty and doubtful gain, it is ques-
ton whether it could ever be enforced.
To cripple one legitimate industry in
order to benefit another is rather con-
trary to American institutions and there
is the possibility that the bill, if passed,
might be declared unconstitutional. OF
course, it would be very unkind to sug-
post that Commencement T'ou-pexy Io5 hoo,
bribed by the manufacturers of cleo 10
secure the passage of the bill in such a
form that it will be declared unconstitu-
tional by the supreme. court; but it Is
easy to see what would happen in that
case. There would then be no law what
ever to regulate the cleo business, and
the manufacturers would be at perfect
liberty to sell refined dog fat and skin
ner's grease for triple x creamery but
ter. Perhaps Mr.. Tawney has a gold
brick and is looking for Rubes. The
farmers of his district swallowed his
deal with the lumber syndicate, like q
good little boy taking castor OIL Will
they take his Grout bill In the same way?
NIL. ldWIlSy iS WORKING MS little game
with all the oily smoothness of the gold
brick man. He is backed by the Repub-
lican country press, which performs the
bowling dervish act, in. order to get the
farmers worked up to the proper pitch.
Some of these editors seem to have
enough wheels in their heads to start a
bicycle and automobile factory combined
We quote from the Preston Times:
Senator Allen, of Nebraska. turns out
TO be the especial champion of the cleo
margarine interests in the senate. Well
the oleo boys have lots of stuff and are
undoubtedly willing to put up liberal re-
tainers. 1t would be interesting to know
though, how the senator's farmer con-
sttuentS are taking to his singular att
tude. Nebraska is supposed to be an
agricultural state and not particularly
long on oleomargarine.
Certainly Nebraska is an agricultural
state, but does the gifted editor know
what oleo is made Of? Does he think
1t is made of moonsnine and hot air?
Nebraska does not do much dairy farm