Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-03-28
FROM WASHINGTON.

What threatend to be aninva>ion
ON the sacyed rights OF the American
people was averted last week, when
the Senate removed Arizona and
New Mexico from the Statehood
Biu. IL looked very much for u
time as though these people were
going to be forced into shotgun
wedding. as every effort of the
Administration was being put forth
70 bring them in as one State,
whether they liked it ar not, and
this would have been brought about
had il not been for the Hon. Mark
Smith, Delegate from Arizona.
He can congratulate himself on
having won out on one of the hard
est fights. against the greatest odds.
that has taken place here in many
years. Bully for Mark. Arizona
should be proud toe proud of him.
Just after the smoke OF the
Statehood fight had cleared 1rya, a
diminutive messenger boy was
rushing wildly around, looking for
Mark, whom he finally found in
the midst of a grnmp Of statesmen,
still talking about the fray. He
carried telegram from Mark 5
constituents in Arizona, and this is
what it said. Are you drunk
yet. If not you ought TO be. We
all are. And Mark wasn't.
The gentle finger of the Ryan
Belmont political trust can be
found in nearly every suggestion
of importance that is before the
people, either through the papers,
or out Of the mouths of orators OF
wisdom. This little trust, which
makes the Standard Oil aggregation
look like a small canal boat along
side of a modern steamship. are
going to do all in their power 90.
hoodwink the people, and get away
with all the politics and all the
money. after the next election.
Don't be fooled.
The officers of the bureau of
the Department OF Agriculture
have for unany years held and
taught that food preservatives are
injurious substances. Some of
them, and many of their supporters
in State agricultural stations. have
gone so far as to call them poiSons.
The fact is that there is not in ex-
iStence any book on materia medica
or toXicology that SO classes them.
Officers OF the Department have
gone into others States and in
courts OF justice have testified as TO
their injuriousness. On what
ground did they base this! The
published records of the bureau of
chemistry show that the opposition
began on the basis OF an old super
Stition of science. 1t was Il direct
result of antiseptic action. This
was the belief of everybody half
century ago. Now no man who
pretends TO be scientific dares to
defend it. lit was the belief OF
every officer of the bureau of
chemistry, who has written on the
matter, decade ago. The effect
of that old superstition, which their
writings showed they belived, still
clings to them. 1t is hard to shake
otfthe effects of old ideas even when
we have abandoned them.
Salicy lie acid and benzoic acid are
only one-eighth as injurious as
vinegar of the same concentration
as themselves. What reason or
sense is there in condemning the
less injurious and permitting or
eXtolling the more injurious! Crsn-
berries contain the benzoic acid
putthere by nature and wintergreen
berries contain the salicyGc acid
put there 10y nature. Allo our chief
fruits contain small amounts OF
both of these acids. If injurious
by long-continued use it is about
time some of the i'll effects should
begin to show. We and our faith
ers have been using them for mil
lenniums. Nature protects the
seeds Of many fruits and some nuts
with benzoic acid. Any injury oI
the seed tina. would make it liable
to germ injection would produce
the benzoic acid. 1t is only pro
duced under such INJURY and the
amount produced is in direct pro
portion to the seriousness or extent
of the injury.
senator Bailry's speech on tn,
rate regulation question has excit
ed considerable comment, and i