Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-02-14

into the forum of Congress a measure to
permit the taxing power of the United
States Government (when there Is no
necessity for raising fundsJ to be used for
the purpose of destroying a great indus
try, and by consequence building up an
other industry
The gentleman is evidently mistaken in
the purpose of the legislation asked for
as well as in the results which will follow
If the measure is enacted into law. The
legitimate butter industry REQUIRES no
building up; it has been with us from
time immemorial, and It will remain with
us for all time to come. The butter in
dustrv of the country stands upon its own
merits and IL able and willing to fight its
own battles with any other honest and
legitimate industry. 1t has no complaint
to make against olemargarne as such
1t Is only against the fraudulent devices
of the manufacturer of oleomargarinc of
which they complain-the celebration of
their product made to resemble butter so
perfectly that at a comparatively small
cost the oeomargarine manufacturer is
enabled to dispose of 1t at large profit
as and for genuine butter.
II is said the revenue that will be derive
from the taxation of oleomargarinc is not
needed for the purpose of the Govern
ment. We grant all that; but we further
say that If nothing but uncoored oleo-
margarine is manufactured the revenue
derived under the provisions of this bill
will be infinitely less than what it now
is, as | have conclusively shown The
measure is not one for revenue. but for
the restriction of an article of food when
fraudulently prepared so that 1t can be
sold for another food product which it Is
not.
The power of taxation is not always
employed for the raising of revenue. Mr.
tuition, Book !, PIP 677-67S. says:
Nothing is more clear from the history
of nations than the fact that the taxing
power is often, very often applied for
other purposes than revenue. 1t is often
applied as virtual prohibition: some
times to Danish a noNious article of con
sumption; sometimes as a suppression of
particular empoyments."
Chief Justice Marshall in the case of
Mccullough V. Maryland a Wheaton, p.
i2Nl. says:
THAT the power to tax involves the
power to destroy is proposition not
| to be denied
In 1864 Congress passed "A law imposing
a tax amounting to about 10 per cent on
all currency issued by State banks This
was clearly intended not as measure for
raising of revenue. but as one of prohibi-
iton. for the result was State banks went
out of existence and the act was held to
be constitutional by the Supreme Court
of the United States. which declared as
follows:
THE tax can not be held invalid for be-
ing SO excessive as to indicate "A purpose
to destroy the franchise of the state
banks
Further citation Of authority is unnec-
essary to establish the proposition that
Congress has the constitutional power To
impose a tax of 10 cents pound upon
colored oleomargarine made to look like
butter. even though its imposition will
| absolutely prohibit the manufacture and
sale of ol"omargarinc colorcd in imta-
ton of butter, which is the purpose Of
the proposed legislation. The tax Of
| one-fourth of cent per pound on color
ed oleomargarine is imposed simply to
keep the manufactures under Federal
supervision, which, as stated by Mr.
Tillinghast. president OF large oleo-
margarine mandatory in Rhode Island.
was preferable 10 no supervision at all.
II this tax of II cents per pound will
prevent the manufacture and sale of oleo-
margarine colored so as to cause 1t to
look like butter and enable II to bc sold
las butter. ii should be imposed in the in
terest OF good morals and honest meth
DDS. to say nothing of the benefits that
will accrue to the farmers and dairYmeu
OF the country. | believe II will work
out its purpose by raising the price Of
the colored article to the extent that ii
will remove the temptation for the prac-
tice of dishonest methods which large
profits in business transaction are quite
sure to encourage.
The second section of the ma jority bill
is quite essential and important and
should bc enacted into law. The commit
tee saw it demonstrated while on their
visit To the factory Of the Standard But
tcrine company located within about two
miles of this capitol. that a retail dealer
| Of oleomargarine. purchased in an uncol-
ored condition. hotel proprietors. and
hoarding-h house keepers can with the use
OF annotto and a wooden paddle. in a few
minutes time convert a lump of unColor-
ed olcomargarine into an article colored
| that will look like butter This they will
| do in order to set before their guests an
article Of food which in its appearance
| is butter and which they are made to he
| lieve is butter Such a practice would be
deceptive and dishonest and can be pre-
| vented by the adoption Of this second sec
| ton which was incorporated into the bill
| for that purpose.
| What is demanded of us by the best
! citizenship of this country is that we
| shall enact law that will place upon
| the markets Of the country an honest
| article In conclusion | quote the lam
| guage used by Mr.. Jones. master OF the
| National Grange of the Patrons Of Hus-
| bandry in his statement before the com
mittee; "The time has come when the
| American people want to get back to the
| good old system of doing business that is
| square and honest between man and man.
| So whatever we undertake we insist that
| the man who sells us the article must
| make his representations true and right
This is the principle upon which this Re
public has prospered In the past; II is
the principle upon which 1t will prosper
and must prosper in the future '-[Loud
| applause.l
Provisions of the Bill.