The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-15
9EAT BITTER TRESr

economic and social questions, are usual
ly colored, if not dictated, by personal
interests. A man is protectionist be-
cause he Believes that the consummation
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,
deleteriously of course, all those who are
not in the deal The average human be-
ing opposed to monopoles- becomes a
menopolist of the first water The moment
he is admitted into the charmed circle
of profit ~~s.
OF this general principle we have
striking example in the attempt to form
a butter trust Frantic efforts were made
last year to pass the Grout bill and moth
ms but the shortness of the session and
the determination of the administration
to block the appropriation bill Kept it
from becoming a law. This year, how
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
Circuit 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 & law Gre
ating one of the most barefaced monopo-
lies are all committed to antitrust legis-
lation. For their attitude toward this
butter trust they offer no excuse except
the time honored political gag that their
constituents demand it.
The avowed object of the Grout bill is
to drive out Of the market oleomargarine,
a cheap and wholesome food, because it
interferes with the monopoly of the but
ter trade. The people must have butter
and if 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 oleomar-
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 food, to the lower grades of dairy
butter. 1t is further admitted that when
I colored the same as creamery butter
when the same coloring matter is used III
both-people will prefer oleomargarine to
creamery butter at the present prices. For
| these reasons TIE dairy interests boldly
ask congress to legislate one industry out
! of existence because it will have a ten
dency to furnish to the poorer class of
people cheap and wholesome food which
viii 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 Of
creamery butter by the use of the same
coIoring matter. Just how the laws of
the United States are to remedy this Is
difficult to determine. Has the butter
trust a 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 is
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 right
and the power to interfere between two
domestic productions which are in com.