Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-24

NUNu WOubu VttO"
"lumpy jaw" cattle to he sent out "s
food.
suppose that We take Of the matter
the most charitable view possiOie.
Suppose we assume that the trust gen
tlemen are most scrupulous about al
the ways In which they make money.
suppose we forget about the soldiers
poisoned by embalmed beef. the gaines
of gOuge ana robbery practiced by the
trust refrigerator ear lines, the manip'
ulation of a thousand markets for
profits, the tribute levied by this com.
bination upon all households In the
country. Let us forget that they are
law.brcakers and mOney-mad and as.
sumo that not one OF them would
touch cent Of questionable profits.
still this question stnres us In the
face: How do we know what becomes
of the ''lumpy jaw" cattle?
How do the trust gentlemen know? I?
Their employees are employed to
make much money for the trust gen.
tleinen. How do we know the ways
In which the money Is made?
How do the trust gentlemen know :?
Here IL Il stream of the most terrible
infection passing daily within a few
inches Of the nations food supply.
How do we know that sufficient pre-.
cautions are taken to prevent cOntami.
nation?
How do the trust gentlemen know :?
They inform us that what goes on
behind the walls Of their plants Is
their own affair; that Is. their busl.
ness: they will manage 1t rs they see
nt. Whose affair Is It, then, IL the
nation cats diseased meat, II We nrc
poisoned by trlchinnc, II cancer In
crcascs?
Other countries are not no dull rs
we are about these things. Other
countries understand very we'll the
monstrous pcrlls involved In the meth
DDS Of this monopoly. and. therefore.
try to exclude American mcats,
TO quiet their objections the United
States Is supposed to keep an insps:tor
upon meat intended for export and to
place upon It an official stamp certify.
Ing that 1t II tit for food.
have here before mo letters written
by former employees Of the trust assur-
Ing me that the Federal inspection IL
n farce. The inspectors inspect moth.
ing, say these letters. They sit read
Ing or smoking with their pockets full
- x.,, ,.,1,t<.l, ,wo I'm nslsssl n,st M tl,Ov
are required. One man tells me TINT
he used to get fifty ut a time, reach.
Ing his hand into the inspectors
pocket.
II, then, these are the methods In
regard to export beef, about which
there IL nominal inspection, what do
you suppose are the methods about
meat for domestic consumption. Oh
which there IL no inspection ut all?
Why IL the Federal inspection allow
ed to be Indifferent? Well, why IL ev.
erything about this subject No rotten?
Why was the Beef Trust allowed tn go
on year after year violating the law
and no attempt made to prevent It!
Why arc the laws inert against this
criminal organization? Why II II man
sent to prison for five years for f0rg.
Ing Il fve.dollar check and these men
go free for swindling nation?
Why do We contribute our dollars
year after year to swell unnecessary
boards?
Why are we content to have our
food prepared for us In secret under
conditions that to any sane mind cer-
tainly suggest fraud ana treachery!
We are not obliged to have these
things II We do not want them. The
remedies are simple enough.
As to the "lumpy jaw" the tubcrcu-
losls ana the cancer, put a stop to pri'
vate slaughtering. Let all the slaugh-
tering of food animals he done by the
State In the light Of day, without any
of this dark lantern business, ON equal
terms for all. There are very few
private slaughter houses In England
The cities and towns run their slaugh'
ter houses under medical Inspection.
But In England the people do not care
to be poisoned In their meat
And we need not worry about the OBJ
lection that publicly owned slaughter
houses are an invasion of the private
rights of business. When 1t comes to
life and death there are no private
rights of business. No man hps right
to saved profits that he makes by
spreading disease. We have gone too
far on the road to public sanitation to
turn back bcause some gentleman's
profits are threatened. The State will
not allow you to go around with small
poX or to conceal scarlet fever In your
house, although each may be strictly
your own affair. Compared with can
Ger, smallpox ana scarlet fever are
nothing. II the State can take radical
measures to stamp out cholera II can
take radical measures to stamp out
cancer, million times worse than
cholera. II 1t can provide pest houses
for public safety 1t can provide slaugh.
ter houses for public safety. And it's
duty In the one case IL at least az clear
as In the other.
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