Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-26
DDLLN[R N DEBATE
Announcement That He Would
Speak Today Filled Caller
les Of the Senate.
His Maiden Effort in Senatorial
Debate Makes a Fine
Impression.
Discusses the Oieomarsafine
Bill In IN Able and Forci-
Bile Manner.
Special to Times-Republican.

Washington, March
nouncement that Senator Doltver, OF
Iowa. would speak on the oieomar-
garine bill drew large audience IN
the senate this afternoon. ine gai-
leries were filed earlyiand nearly every
seat ON the senate floor was occupied.
It was Delivers maiden speech IN
debate in the senate and the junior
Iowa senator made splendid I'M
preston.
when the routine business of the
sanate was concluded consideration of
the oleomargarine bill was resumed.
Hansbroush, of North Dakota, con-
tinued his speech in support of the
measure.
He was followed by Dolliver. Dol
liver said ia part:
"This bill has for its purpose to SO
amend the oleo law of 1885 as to more
perfectly protect the public. That law
la1ls1a tax of two cents per pound on
oleo requiring 1t also to be marked In
such way as to give the public notice
of its real character. 1t was thought
ct the time to be adequate and would
have been had not its promoters de-
liberately chosen a career of false pre-
tense.
"If those who have invested in this
business had chosen to- deal In good
faith with the community no additional
legislation would have been necessary,
but men have trampled under foot the
laws Of thirty-two states for the pur-
pose of selling oleo to those unable to
distinguish it from butter.
1.-THE result of this is that the busi-
ness has become fraudulent thru and
thru and unless It's promoters are will
ing to cooperate with the law-making
power in raising 1t above the grade of
common cheat. the time will soon come
when 1t will be unfit for the counte-
nance Of honest men.
"The first section of this bill pro-
poses to subject original packages of
all imitation dairy products to the po-
lice regulations of the state In respect
to such articles. This prevents people
in one state from sending these articles
into another under conditions which
exempt them from the operation of the
laws OF the state to which they are
sent.
taller from coloring the product, plac-
ing him in the same category with the
manufacturer. The third section re-
lates to the collection OF the tax.
1.-The original formula of the French
man who invented ,ofeo, and which at
tempted no deception, soon fell into the
] hands OF enterprising persons who set
out to produce an article SO nearly
akin, chemically to butter as to require
only the arts of the counterfeiter to
turn it into the most elaborate swindle
ever contrived.
In 1885 the complaint of the public
was based largely upon the natural re-
pugnance that men everywhere feel to-
ward food products of doubtful origin
and suspicious appearance. Oleo
doubtlessly would have been wiped out
by the two cent tax and the other pro-
visions Of that law If in order to escape
total destruction, the industry had not
taken two steps; one in the right direc-
ton, and the other In direction to
leave 1t stranded and discredited ev-
erywhere. The claim is not disputed
that the modern oleo factory can pro-
duce an article of food which would
give rise to no questions of mere san
itation and hygiene. am willing to
concede that oleo, at its best, is not
longer subject to suspicion which few
years ago made its most respectable
factories mysterious with the secrets OF
Of the soap kettle and the garbage
plant.
"The proposed act Of congress will
deprive the manufacturers only of the
opportunity Of filing the channels of
the butter trade with an unlimited
output OF bogus merchandise. No re-.
strictions will be placed upon Oleo in
Its natural uncolored state.
will oleo pay the tax and go OH
as at present? We think not; for this
reason: Ten cents pound added to
the cost of making it would bring the
s retail price Of it so near the usual
price of butter as to leave the retailer
under very much less temptation to
serve his customers with spurious
goods. The least tolerable feature OF
the oleo habit is It's customary mas
,Querade in the price Of butter as well
as Its appearance. In Chicago stores
I have seen all sorts and conditions
of men calling for butter, and taking
oleo with them under the name and at
the current price Of the goods which
they thought they were buying. It is
too much to expect a dealer, once fully
embared in such an enterprise, to
throw off any of his possible margins
The only way to break UP nest like
that is to reduce to the minimum the
proceeds of the rascality.
This bill leaves the oleo manu-
facturer free to offer to the trade the
product Of his factory, in it's natural
color He may simulate the taste OF
butter by churning his mixture of beef
oil and lard in milk and cream; he may
copy the smell Of butter; but this law
will require him to give to the public
one easy and authentic way to find
out what kind of lubricant 1T is ac-
tually spreading upon its bread. The
course which the industry has here
tofore pursued has made 1t the defend
ant in the criminal courts Of nearly
every state in the union, and put upon
1t the badge Of a disgrace making II
Impossible to speak the name of II
among even the mines of Pennsyl-
vania without running the risk Of So
cial ostracism. Not even the moderr
liquor traffic at the points Of its worst
degradation; has ever lived in such q