The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-05-03
Free penatured Alcohol.

Free Denatured Alcohol
| Because the bill for free denatured
alcohol is one of the most important
passed by the house in this congress
! give my remarks in its favor in full:
Mr.. Speaker, the proposition to remove
the tax from denatured grain alcohol for
technical uses is the only one of which
! history furnishes an authentic record on
which distillers and prohibitionists, man
ufacturers and farmers, producers and
consumers are agreed.
If the roseate predictions of its most
optimistic advocates are fulfilled. we will
witness a veritabe Aladdins lamp work
ing its myriad wonders before our eyes
in this prosaic age. II even half of them
are realized, We will see a revolution in
lighting, heating, manufacturing and
motors.
Buckle, in his immortal fragment says
that the three most potent factors in
modern civilization were the invention of
gunpowder the invention of movable
types. and the use of steam as Il motor
and a manufacturing agent Had he
lived In our day he would have classed
electricity as the fourth. If the hopes
of the proponents of untaXed denatured
alcohol find fruition In fact, then il will
rank as the fifth.
1t is said that he who causes two blades
of grass TO grow where only one grew be-
fore is q public benefactor. II that be
true-and il certainly is incontroVertible
then the declara ton may be made with
out fear of successful contradiction that
he is also a public benefactor who fur
nishes cheap light, cheap fuel and a
cheap motive power to the masses of the
people These are among the blessings
promised by this measure. Every MEM
k..a,
among his country's benefactors by vot-
ing for this bill A cordial invitation is
hereby extended to all members to place
their names upon the RON of honor
In passing it may be We'll To state
that this is the only civilized country I'M
der the sun in which any considerable tax
is levied upon denatured alcohol Intended
for technical uses. In this age of fierce
industrial and commercial competition
constantly growing fiercer-we cannot af-
ford to neglect any of the natural adVan-
tages which we possess, and as alcohol
can be made from anything containing
starch or sugar grain of every sort
white potatoes, sweet potatoes, vans
waste molasses (both cane and beeD
cornstalks, etc,-we can easily and prof
itably produce substances from which a
limitless quantity of alcohol can be made
1t is not the part of wisdom to agree
with the extremists ON this subject, either
pro or con.
one set seems to think that untaxed al
cohol viii usher in the millennium; the
other set concludes that ii viii destroy the
wood alcohol and the charcoal iron in.
dustry. The former are unduly elated;
the latter are unnecessarily scared.
Alcohol can be made from the corn
stalks which we produce and waste in
quantities to supply not America only,
hut the world with cheaper and better
not be made from cOrnstalks in any con-
siderable quantities 80 long as grain and
potatoes are as cheap as they now are
So. far from the wood alcohol industry
being destroyed, II Is doubtful If 1t will
be injured to any appreclable degree In
deed, some persons think II would help It, |
for the best denaturing material thus far
discovered is one-tenth part OF wood al
cohol
Last year the entire output of wood
alcohol was about 100000 gallons The |
enthusiastic proponents of the pending |
measure predict that Ia short time we |
Will be consuming 700 000, 900 gallons OF de- |
natured alcohol per annum That would |
neeessitate the use Of 2O,OO0OOO gallons al |
wood alcohol per annum for denaturing |
purposes alone, or twice our entire pres
ent output of wood alcohol.
Now, b. IL remembered that nobody |
starts Out TO make wood alcohol as an |
oIislhal proposition IL u byproduct |
of charcoal burning. wood alcohol and
acetate Of lime, constituting % per cent |
or the money value of charcoal making
On the other hand. what Is called
grain alcohol" Is the principal product
Of distillstion. except the slops, which.
as animal food. Just about pay the cost
or distillGtion, which is one OF the sim
plest processes known among men
That free denatured alcohol will be d
powerful competitor with the Standard
OIL trust and the coal trust there can be
no question, and for that reason II for
no other. this bin should he enacted into
law, II can be made In tins country for
from 10 10 30 cents per gallon. at which
price II is cheaper than Kerosene or gas
Dline. for a gallon OF alcohol contains
about twice as many heat units as a gal
lon OF kerosene or gasoline. Al the same
time IL Is much cleaner and safer Whv !
-hen. refuse II TO the people?
Aside from its use for lighting, hea ting
and motor purposes, II Is surprising In
what variety or manufactures q - a Va,
lable, necessary, factor.
In an elaborate report Senator Platt
md Mr. Russell enumerate the following:
Acids, bicycles. backing, brass work,
lronze work. burial caskets. cabinetmak-
ng carriages, cars. wagons. etc. ear.
ridges, celluloid and zylonite chairs.
chemicals, cheMiea prepare tions, cigars.
'Olors, dental goods, desks. dyes, dyes
ised ia textiles, enameled ware. haYorlus
extracts. Folding beds, Eliminating pow
Ter furniture, gas aud electric fixtures.
gliding, granite ware, guns and pistols,
lats, Japanned ware. machinery mold
ngs, organs. paints. paper. pharmaceu-
icalsi Photographic materials. pianos.
leture frames, rattan goods, shellac
iik, silver plating, smokeless powder, to-
'4eeo. toys. yarnlshes. Whips
fhefe are. perhaps. others. The NUM-