Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-04
57TH CONGRESS.
Senate Passes the OIeomar-
garine Bill, SO to 81.
Hot Debate on Closing Days Argu-
ment--Provisions Of the Bill.
House Passes Bill to Better Internal
Revenue Gutter Service.

Washington. April AT the conclu-
sion of a lively debate, today, the Sen
ate passed the oleomargarne bill by a
vote of 80 to 81.
The discussion was largely in the
nature of a reinforcement of arguments
previously advanced. Spooner, Wis,
made the principal speech, maintaining
| that Congress had ample authority to
enact the proposed legislation because
it was in the interest of the people.
In an earnest protest against the
| measure, Vest of Missouri, held that
Congress was invading the powers OF
| the states.
Scott of West Virginia, moved to re-
commit the measure to the committee,
holding that it was unsatisfactory to
many senators and ought to be per-
fected. The motion was defeated, IS
to 81.
During the afternoon a perfect flood
of kilograms poured into the Senate
from all parts of the country urging
senators either to support or to oppose
| the measure.
| The measure as passed by the Senate
differs in some respects from that
passed by the House of Representa-
tives. 1t provides that oleomargarine
and kindred products shall be subject
to all the laws and regulations of any
state or territory, or the District of
Columbia, into which they are trans
ported, whether in original packages or
otherwise; that any person who sells
Oleomargarine and furnishes it for the
use of others, except to his own family,
who shall mix with it any artificial
| celebration that causes it to look like
butter shall be held to be a manufact-
urer and shall be subject TO the tax
provided by the existing law; that upon
oleomargarine colOred SO as to reSem-
BILE butter a tax of 10 cents a pound
shall be levied, but upon oleomargarine
not colored the tax shall be One-fourth
of l cent per pound; that upon adul-
| terated butter a tax of 10 cents pound
shall be levied, and upon all process
or renovated butter the tax shall be
one-fourth of l cent per pound; the
manufacturers of process or renovated
or adulterated butter shall pay an an
ual tax of 5000; the wholesale dealers
shall pay a tax OF $3.50; and the retail
dealers a tax of $3.50 per annum.
| The measure provides regulations for
the collection of the tax and prescribes
infinitely how the various products are
to be prepared for market.
| In the presentation of some petitions
| in the Senate against the passage of
the oleomargarine bill, Kean, N. j., laid
| before the Senate "a sample of oleo-
| margarine" The Chair (Frye) said the
| sample of oleomargarine would be laid
on the table. Consideration then at the
conclusion of routine business was re-
| sumed of the Oleomargarine bill
Rawlins, Utah, maintained that Con-
gress had no authority to regulate the
police powers within the states The
bill! could be sustained only an exercise
of taxing power, yet he said not a sen.
| ator would vote for the bill for the pur-
pose of raising revenue.
Under this measure he maintained the
dealer was not prevented from deceivinr
his customers, as the dealer would be
able to impose upon his customers the
oelOmargarine as butter. east obtaining
therefore, butter prices for the substitute
product In opposing the measure, Teile;
admitted that it would be regarded by the
they would hold that the tax was laid
legally and properly. He regarded the
| bill as repressive in its purpose and i
| tax upon consumption.
| FOrakerS opinion concerning oleomsr.
| garine was that it is wholesome article
OF food. although he said that prior to
| the pending debate his prejudices had
| been against the product The measure
was defective in some particulars in his
| judgment, and he advocated the adoption
of some amendments he had proposed
One of his objections to the measure was
| that 1T placed every family in the land
| under the espionage of government off,
| GERS and one of his amendments was to
remedy that objection. His other amend
ment provided that no artificial coloring
| oleomargarine As the bill stood, he
| pointed out. no Oleomargarine could be
manufactured with ingredients that
duct.
Money closed the general debate upon
| the bill. replying chiefly to some of the
points made by Spooner
| At o'clock, Scott (W. Val moved thai
the bill be recommitted to the committee
| His object was, he said. that the measure
might be perfected, because as 1t stood
it was unsatisfactory to many senators.
The motion was lost. 35 to 81. as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich. Bacon. Bailey, Bate,
| Berry. Blackburn, Carmack. Clark, Mon
ey. Clark CWyoD. Clay. Culberson. Dry
den, Dubois, Foster Ua.), Gibson. Heit-
| field. Jones New. McEnery, McLaurln
| (Miss.). McLaurin Is. CO., Mallory, Mar
| tin. Willard. Patterson. Pettus. Rawlins,
| ScOIt. simmons, stewart. IallefeTrO, TEL
| Ter. Turner, Vest, Wellington, Wetmore-
| S.
| Nays-Allison, Burnham, Burrows,
| Burton, Clapp, Cuiom, Deboe Dietrich,
| Dillingham;, Fairbanks. Foraker, Foster
| Wash.), Frye. Gallinger. Gamble. Hale.
| Hanna. Hansbrough, Harris, Hawley,
| kean, Kearns, Kittredge. Lodge, McCo-
mas. McCumber, Mcmillan, Mason,
Mitchell, Nelson. Penrose, Perkins, Plat
| (Ct). Pritchard, Proctor, Quarles. Spoon
| er-37
| Spooner said it was idle to suppose that
| the present federal or state laws on the
| subject of oleomargarine had been effec-
| tive. In fact, the existing federal law
really had been an aid in the defraudIng
| of the consumer.
Spooner maintained that Congress had
| the power which frequently had exercised
| to levy a tax on an article merely for
| revenue, but for the general public fare.
| Instanced tax of making the tax of $40
| a pound upon opium used for smoking
and the tax placed upon lottery tickets
| 1t was manifest, he commended, that thoss,
/ taxes were not levied for the purpose of
raising revenue but expressly for another
! and clearly evident purpose.
| Harris (Kan) then offered his amend
ment placing a tax of ~ cents pound on
adulterated butter and tax of one-auar-
. ter of one cent pound on process or
Continued on page 2)