Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-03

fllc trust slaughter houses are eN"c'N
such us would allow the meat Of
"lumpy Jaw" cattle to m sent out as
food.
Supposc that VIC take of the matter
the most charitable view pOsslOle.
Suppose we assume that the trust gen.
tlemcn are most scrupulous about al
the ways in which they make money.
suppose we forget about the soldiers
poisoned by embalmed beef. the games
of gOugc and robbery practiccd by the
trust refrigerator ear lines. the mnnip.
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 stares us In the
face: How do we know what becomes
of the ''lumpy jaw" cattle!
How do the trust gentlemen know?
Their employees are employed to
make much money for the trust gen.
tlcmcn. How do we know the ways
In which the money Is made?
How do the trust gentlemen know?
Here Is Il stream of the most terrible
infection passing daily within u few
inches OF the nations food supply.
How do We know that sufficient pre-.
cautions arc taken to prevent contaimi-
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 busi.
ness they will manage 1t as they sec
iit. Whose affair Is It. then. IL the
nation eats diseased meat. IL we are
poisoned by trichinac, IL cancer In.
creases?
Other countries IRE not so dull rs
We arc about these things. Other
countries understand very we'll the
monstrous pcrils involved In the meth.
ods Of this monopoly, and. therefore.
try to exclude American meats,
TO quiet their objections the United
States Is supposed to keep nm lnsp ,:tor
upon meat intended for export and to
place upon 1t an official stamp certify
Ing TINT II IL tit for food.
have here before me letters written
by former employees Of the trust nss''r'
Ing me TINT the Federal inspection Is
farce. Tho inspectors inspect moth
Ing, sny these letters. They sit rcad.
Ing or smoking with their pockets full
OF tugs, which are handed out us they
arc required. One man tells me TINT
he used to get fifty ut time. reach
Ing his hand into tho inspectors
pocket.
II, then, these are the methods IN
regard to export beef. about which
there Il nominal inspection. what dc
you suppose aTc the methods about
meat for domestic consumption. oi
which there IL no inspection ut all?
Why Is the Federal Inspection allow
cd to he Indifferent? Well, why IL cv
erything about this subject ~ rotten
Why was the Beef Trust allowed to 4,
Oh year after year violating tho law
and no attempt made to prevent It!
Why are the laws inert against THU
criminal organization? Why II mn'
sent to prison for five years for forg
Ing Il fivc-dOllar check und these mel
20 free for swindling a nation!
Why do we contribute our dollar'
year aftcr year to swell unnccessar!
boards?
Why arc we content to have Ou
food prepared for us In secret uuaie
conditions that to any sane mind Ger
tainly suggest fraud and treachery?
We are not obliged to have thes'
things IL we do not want them. TN
remedies are simple enough.
AZ to the "lumpy jaw" the tubcrc''
losls ana the cancer, put a stop to pri
vatc slaughtering. Let all the slaugi'
tering Of food animals be done by TIN
State In the light Of day. without an!
OF this dark lantern business, 0n equa
terms for all. There are very fcv
private slaughter houses In England
Tho cities and towns run their slnugll
ter houses under medical Inspection
but III I.ilsltnu tHc IVol'S "" wv N''
to he poisoned In their meat.
And we need not worry about the oil
lection that publicly owned slaughte
houses are nm invasion of the prlvat
rights of business. When 1t comes (
life ana death there are no privat
rights of business. No man has rlsl'
to saved profits that he mak"s b.
spreading disease. We have gone TO
) far on the road to public sanitation t
turn back bcause some gentlemn.
profits are threatened, The State wi
not allow you to 90 around with smnl
poX or to conceal scarlet fever In you
) house, although each may he strict
your own affair. Compared with cal
: Ger, smallpox and scarlet fever ar
nothing. If the State can take radios
measures to stamp out cholera it ca
take radical measures to stamp o,,
cancer. Il million times worse tha
cholera. If 1t can provide pest house
for public safety it can provide saugl
} ter houses for public safety. And II
duty In the one case Is ut least as clea
; as In the other.
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