The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-15
aHAr RuTrER rRusr

Political principles, like opinions on
economic and social questions, are usual
ly colored, if not dictated, by personal
interests. A man is protectionist be-
cause he Believes that the contamination
of that theory in practice will benefit him
in financial way. The ultimate results
on the community at large is too remote
for his consideration. Trusts and COM
binations are opposed because it is be-
lieved that they will in some way affect,
not in the deal. The average human be-
ing opposed to monopoliesz becomes a.
menopolist of the first water the moment
he is admitted into the charmed circle
Of profit. ~~f.
OF this general principle we have a
striking example in the attempt to form
butter trust Frantic efforts were made
last year to pass the Grout bill and moth
ing but the shortness of the session and
the determination of the administration
to block the appropriation bill Kept it
ever, the advocates of the butter trust
have taken time by the forelock and pro-
pose to force their monopoly upon the
| public or know the reason why. The
Grout bill has been reintroduced and the
trading stock arranged for immediate
business.
And yet these men who are bent upon
forcing upon the statute books q law Gre
ating one of the most barefaced monopo-
| lies are all committed to antitrust legis-
| lation For their attitude toward this
the time honored political gag that their
constituents demand it.
| The avowed object of the Grout bill is
to drive out of the market oleonlargarine,
a cheap and wholesome food, because it
interferes with the monopoly of the but
ter trade The people must have butter
and if a cheap substitute can be kept out
of the market the price Of the real
article can be maintained A more bare
faced attempt to secure government aid
| in the formation of a trust never was
known There is no claim that oeomar-
garine is unhealthful. 1t is admitted that
the poorer classes must have something
of that sort or go without butter. 1t is
/ admitted that oleomargarine is superior,
as a food, to the lower grades of dairy
| hot
colored the same as creamery butter
when the same coloring matter is used In
both-people will prefer oleomargarine to
creamery butter at the present prices. Tor
these reasons the dairy interests boldly
ask congress to legislate one industry out
of existence because 1t will have a ten
dency to furnish to the poorer class of
| people cheap and wholesome food which
| will come in competition with and pos
sibly drive out their own unwholesome
product.
/ The advocates of the Grout bill have
been driven from one defense to another
until they have nothing left but. the argu-
| ment on color. The only complaint they
now offer is against the imitation q
creamery butter by the use of the SAND
coloring matter. Just how the laws OF
the United States are to remedy this Is
difficult to determine. Has the butter
trust patent on the coloring matter
used in butter? Is it to become a settled
principle in this country that a new
imitation which is as good as the original
is to be forbidden because it interferes
with the vested rights of the old? 1t i.
easy to see to what this would lead.
The position of the. supporters of the
Grout bill is absolutely untenable unless
it is assumed that congress has the righf
and the power to interfere between tive
domestic productions which are in com