Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-26
WHISKY IN THE HOUSE.
Members Show an Intimate knowledge
of Fine Water Subie

After an hour spent in the consider
alton of privileged reports the house
last Saturday resumed further consid-
Grafton of the pure food BILL
Everything was smooth sailing until
the so-called package amendment
was reached, and then squalls sprang
up, and the legislative sea became eX-
ceedingly choppy.
Mr.. Mann of Illinois, in charge of the
bill, offered the committee amendment
heretofore printed, that the time the
package was put up must be on the
container, together with the weight or
measure on the outside of the package.
A dozen members were on their feet
Immediately after the reading of the
amendment.
Mr.. Sherman of New York, offered
an amendment In substance striking
out the time provision. Mr.. Sherman
said that under the penalty provided
the weight and measure If stated must
be correctly stated, which, he argued,
was very difficult. He said that this
was a most serious question, involving
as it did vast interests, and II should
not be hastily considered.
Mr.. Mann responded to this and 9TH
er speeches opposing the committee
amendment giving the house another
demonstration" from behind his gro
Gerry counter, of the ways of packers
and Gamers. The Sherman amend
ment was voted down.
Then the friends of straight" whis-
ky were routed by the friends OF the
rectifiers by vote of "a to 76, defeat
ing an amendment offered by Mr.. Rich
ardson of Alabama, In behalf or the
of or iohti' whisky.
Not in a long time has the house
been treated to so exhaustive and In
structive debate on an article of COM
merce as il was treated to by the rep
resentatives from southern states, in
whose districts whisky is made and
rectified. Mr.. Richardson told how
straight" whisky was made, its col
or being secured from the charred oak
barrel, into which it is put, and after
remaining there a number of years Is
bottled in bond, the green stamp of the
government being the pledge OF Its
purity.
Mr. Champ Clark of Missouri, want
ed IL distinctly understood that he was
I'm favor of a liquor that had both a
coloring and Sweetening material in
| il, not only because of its palatability,
but because there must necessarily be
diminution of the amount OF whisky
that would go into the stomach.
Mr.. Sherley of Kentucky, In behalf
of the rectifiers, held the attention of
the house as he explained the conten-
ton of the two whisky camps, the dis
tillers and the rectifiers. Among other
things he said:
Now. what makes the purity of
whisky, and how is it made? Whisky
may be made out of corn, rye, barley
| or various other grains. It's quality
depends upon the quality of the grain
the quality of the yeast, the cleanliness
of the mash tubs, and the proper dis
tillation. There is not one line of the
internal revenue law that looks to an
inspection of the grain to see whether
| il Is a pure grain or musty gram
there is not a line to say that when the
whisky is distilled 1t Is properly dis
titled, so as to get rid of the first run
or the last run over, which contains
the worst elements i'm whisky"
The speech of Mr.. Sherley brought
Mr.. Stanley of Kentucky. into the
arena i'm front of the speakers desk TO
demonstrate how the offender" makes
blended" whisky. He said he had ~
objection to anybody blending two
kinds of whisky, but he did object to
making whisky while you wait. Then
taking a bottle from the table he pour
ed IL into graduate anu Sdlu.
Here is quart of alcohol, one hun
dred proof strong. 1t will eat the in
testincs out of a coyote. 1t will make
| a bowling dervish out of an anchor
| ite. 1t will make a rabbit spit in 4
bull dogs face. l. is pure alcohol. and
under the skill of the rectfier he will
put in a little coloring matter and then
little bead oil (illustratiagO | drop
that in it. Then | get a little essence
of Bourbon whisky and there is no
connoisseur in this house who can tell
that hellish business from the genuine
article. and that is what | denounce.
(AppIause.) | say that the coiorlng
matter is not harmful; | say that the
caramels arc not harmful, but ! say
that the body stock the whisky MADE
is rank alcohol, and when 1t gets into
a man il is pure hell" (Applause.)
The vote was then taken on the
amendment of Mr.. Richardson and II
was defeated.
A number of other amendments were
offered. but in the main were defeated,
the amendments adopted being merely
changes in verbiage. The committee
then rose and the bill was passed by
a vote of 242 to II.