Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1906-04-07

Here Is stream Of the most terrible
infection passing daily within q few
inches Of the nations food supply.
How do we know that sufficient pre-
cautions arc taken to prevent contami.
nation?
How do the trust gentlemen know3
They inform us that what goes on
behind the walls Of their plants 10
their own affair; that Is, their bust.
ness they will manage II rs they see
fit. Whose affair Is Il. then, II the
nation eats diseased meat, II we are
poisoned by trlchinae, II cancer In
creases?
Other countries are not 30 dull a.
we are about these things. Other
countries understand very well the
monstrous perlls 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 inspsstor
upon meat intended for export and to
place upon 1t an official stamp certify.
Ing that It Ii 1T for food.
have here before me letters written
by former employees Of the trust assur'
Ing me that the Federal inspection 10
a farce. The inspectors inspect moth.
Ing. say these letters. They sit read.
Ing or smoking with their pockets full
Of tags. which are handed out as they
nrc required. One man tells me that
hc used to get fifty mt time. reach
Ing his hand Into the inspectors
pocket.
lf, then, these nre the methods In
regard to export beef. about which
there Is nominal inspection. what do
you suppose are the methods about
meat for domestic consumption, ON
which there Is no inspection ut all?
Why Is the Federal inspection allow
cd to be indlircrent?. Well. why Is ev.
crything about this subject 80 rotten?
Why was the Beef Trust allowed to 20
on year after year violating the law
nnd no attempt made to prevent It?
Why nrc the laws Ucrt against this
criminal organization? Why is q man
sent to prison for five years for forg.
Ing n Avc.lollnr check and these men
20 free for swindllng a nation?
Why do we contribute our dollars
year nfter year to swell unnecessary
boards?
| Why nrc We content to have our
food prepared for US In secret under
conditions TINT to any sane mind GER
tainly suggest fraud and treachcry?
| tn
things II we do not want them. The
remedies arc simple enough.
AZ to tho "lunpy Jaw" the tubcrcu.
iosis ana the cancer, put a stop to pri.
vate slaughtering. Let all the slaugli-
tcrlng Of food animals be done by the
state In tho 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 slaush.
ter houses under medical inspection.
But In England the people do not caro-
to be poisoned In their meat.
And We need not worry about the oh
lection that publicly owned slaughter
houses are nn invasion OF the private
rights Of business. When It comes 70
life and death there are no private
rights Of business. No man hSs right
to saved profits TINT he makes BY
spreading disease. We have gone too
far on the road to public sanitation to
turn back bcause some gentlemau's
profits are threatened. The State wilt
not allow you to 60 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 and scarlet fever are
nothing. II the State can take radical
measures to stamp out cholera It can
take radical measures to stamp out
cancer, q million times worse than
cholera. II It can provide pest houses
for public safety II can provide slaugh-
ter houses for public safety. And its
duty In the one case is at least % clear
as In the other.
09
Thanks to the Beef Trust methods,
cancer numbered 1.10l victims In CHI
cagO In 1905, or o. more than In 1904
an increase Of the rate per 10000 Of
population Of 2.03 per cent.
The increase In deaths from cancer
In Chicago In 1905 over the average
for the decade ended In 1904 was 1O.l
per cent, and over the average rate Of
the decade ended In 1854 was 34.1 per
cent!
~6
One of the most cunning and des-
perate deeds of the Beef Trust was
the defeat, by Beef Trust methods, Of
the attempt OF the secretary Of agrl'
culture to secure 135 additional meat
inspectors for Chicago. The secretary
asked for $135,OOO to pay for 1876 In
spectOrs to inspect meats going to Eu-
rOpe-nOt meats for Americana, for
anything Is good enough for us. The
Congressional Committee. possibly un'
der Beef Trust hypnotic influence. only
appropriated $4,000. 80 the Euro.
peans nre In almost as great danger aa
ourselves.
%6
The pure food laws will, Of course
be enforced against some poor little
grocer. But against the Bee: Trust