The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-02
Wlessenger,
at the Postoffice at Whining
On, N. c., as Second-C Class
Matter. April Ii. 1879.
THE TRUST.

Fhen the federal congress recently
red to pass that unjust bill levelled
Jr the destruction Of a legitimate bus
ness. the production Of oleomargarine-
The Messenger at once denounced ii
in proper terms. 1t was indeed freely
~premeditated infamy. Nothing more gen
timely oppressive and u~nrighteous has
marked the action of the republican
party in control han this bill, so un-
righteous and base in conception and
execution. unless it be the effort repeat
ed by the republicans to intimidate
southern white voters at the polls by
Force bills. and give control in this way
to the negroes of state and county gov
erlments. The butter trust IS a real
institution" and a base one. The price
of butter advanced from 3 to 6 cents a
pound at once. Tie result Is pure.
heaIthful, satisfying Oleomargarine 70
millions of people is taxed 10 cents .
pound by the government, and all >
help the manufacturers of some of the
most offensive stuff ever used,
n sold at forty cents . pound. The
people need not to be surprised that
the butter trust fellows control back
ed by the government-by the corrupt
congress-. The remedy is to refuse %
eat butter. Try oleomargarine. The
bes. chemists have often analyized it,
anG hey pronounce it free from inju-
riOus matter of any kind. and really
more healthfUl than most butter. We
like to see this attack upon the rights
of thousands of legitimate producers OF
a legitimate necessary food met with
exposure and denunciation. The repub-
licans nearly in ongress are respon-
sible for the crime against the people.
The Atlanta Journal in a very sensible.
timely editorial in it's last issue discus
SEES the Butter Trust" and from it we
copy the following:
The passage OF the bill to destroy
the oleomargarine business made it GER
tain that the dairy trust would squeeze
the people at once and just as hard as
it dared. The real object of the bill was
TO enable the trust to do that. 1t is true
that We heard a great deal of fine talk
about protecting the public from bogus
butter and there were some advocates
of the ~oleomargaine bill who really be-
lieved that it was a righteous measure.
But the real forces back of the scheme
were "Out for the stuff" They knew
perfectly we'll hat oleomargarine is a
pure and wholesome product and that
they could not attack it on its merits.
They also knew that the plea that fur
Their legislation against this perfectly
legitimate and helpful industry was a
pre- ext to cover their real design. They
knew further that the passage of their
bill would increase the living
of millions of people in this country and
that was the very reason they wanted
1t passed."
We do not understand how any Amer
ican citizen with any p~retentions to a
sense of right and properties and justice
with Il fair understanding, can for a
such a law of sin and abomination. Tt
is such a palpable, unjustifiable, I'M
American abuse of legislation that all
true and honorable men hould put the
brand of prostitution and disgrace upon
it. The Journal ~rejoices that all of the
sGeOrgians in the congress voted against
the damning law. 1t is really d most
unjust, outrageous tax and should be
repealed at once The Journal says
that the "pretense that it is a govern
ment revenue bill is an insult to the
Intelligence of those to whom it is pre-
the federal taxing power to destroy
one industry in order that another in
-dustry may exact more than d legiti-
mate porfit from the people"