The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1906-06-09
WASHINGTON W LETTER.

fore Congress and tho country N
present ls that OF the CNpo4ura of
the outrageous conditions winch
prevail IN the great slaughfcring
ana packing houses of the West
and possibly of the East. In Tact
all other questions are fpr the time
Obscurcd by thls AMI there IS lii
tie doubt but that other business
IN Congress VIII be ru' aside for
the enactment Of lrgi3 alton that
Will look toward improyin., the
situation there. III = Government
has long been dclatoly IN REGARD
to the beef trust and ever since
the days Of the emhalmyd beef
scandal du,ins the hate war the
subject has from time to time been
revived but it was not until the
publication of "Thc .Iuunlr", n
novel revealing the DISGRACE Of
"Packintown" that the President
and the country n large became
thoroughly aroused and serious
movement was undertaken to
clean house there. The report Sc
cured by the President from his
two representatives, sent 10 Chica
go to investigates the sIaughtctIng
and packing industry has not been
made public but II is said to con
firm the statements Of Mr. Sin
clair as TO the diseased and pol
SOned meats which are sold with
the Government stamp upon them
investigators report that meats are
packed in surroundings abhorrent
ly filthy, and by employees having
loathsome disease;
that cattle and hogs uilerins with
tuberculosis, Iumpy Jaw, ulcers
and other diseases are not destroy.
ed bu. packed and sent ont when
every tho traces of disease can be
removed, or when this is ,mpossi
bic used as sausage, pOttcd hams
and other delicacieS in which the
defects can be concealed and that
the refuse Of diseased animals the
lumpy jaws. uIcerous flesh, tuber-
cular glands, unborn calves, COW
udders and grlstre masquerade as
sausage, veal loaf potted chicken,
canned breakfast bacon and the
like, while decayed and putrcfy-
ing meats are treated with formal
debyde, painted and dyed to The
color of fcrsll meats and doctorcd
with borax and other prescrva-
tives. Senator Bevoridges bill
which provides that an adequate
number Of inspectors shall be EN-
plOyed to inspect the meat and
that they shall have the power to
destroy meat condemned has pass
cd the Senate and il likely 20 pass
the lower House though it VIII
have serious opposition there rs
Speaker Cannon comes from the
Beef Trust centre and has declared
that he will look after their "in
terests'.
AS this letter is ready to go to
you news comes of tho suicide of
Representative "Reitic' Adams
of Philadelphia. Mr.. Adams in u
note to Speaker Cannon explained
that he was financially involved
beyond any hope of making good
and that he had deliberately de
cided to take his own life There
are a number Of men in Congress-
who are much shocked by his act
and who are not sure but that
they are in part responsible for it.
Mr.. Adams was the butt of two
third Of all the jokes this session
and he was probably worse hazed
than any man in Gong ess. His
clothes, his voice, his accent and
his manners have been the subject
of public and private derision not
so much because there was in them
anything ridiculous but because he
was one Of those uDfortunates who
are without any ones knowing
why, the prey of bullies and row
dies. The first years of any active
aud fOrcefuI man's life in Congress
are hard ones and while that body
sits IN solemn judgement on the
boys of Annapolis and West Point
who are guilty of hazing it dis.
penses az obnoxious and irritating
a variety of bullying as prevails
in any college. When the news
Of Mr.. Adams death was reported
in the House several member were
heard to say, "Well this ought to
teach us a lesson, and it IL to be
hoped it will Young men come
to Congress full of the zeal 10 re
form conditions in general. In
their home districts they may have
been the leaders in all Of the best
movements toward better govern
ment. Once in Congress though
they are snubbed on every side,
| auualchod nv fho Sneaker riuicul