The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-18
WHAT Is ssWHIsKYs,


a business the profits of which amour
to tens of millions of dollars annual,
by the order of the President, base,
upon the opinion of the Attorney-Gen
eral, as to what constitutes whisky,
and what shall be allowed to be brand
ed as such.
| AS We have repeatedly explained. 9;
per cent. of the stuff sold as whisky !!
really alcohol, from the big distillerie.
at Peoria and elsewhere, "let. down
with water to the strength of whisky
40 to SIS per cent. alcohol-colored with
burnt sugar, and favored with essences
| It is absolutely neither better Eor worse
| than the old-fashioned whisky. 1t is
the alcohol which a man takes into his
system which works the ruin, and the
slight amount of coloring and f1avoring
matters incorporated with it are of the
least Importance. 1t takes just SO much
alcohol to send him to perdition, and
the frills of fancy names put on it
neither help nor hinder in the least his
downward course. The old-fashioned
whisky of our fathers was just as dead
ly to the drinkers, and just as baleful
to the communicate more so, no less
so-than the new-fangled devil. All
the clamor set up about the superiority
of the "oId-fashioned. handmade sour
mash, fire-distilled." is pure OF impure
cIap-trap. to induce the guliible to pay
double price for liquid ruin.
The practical importance Of the ques-
ton before the Secretary of Agriculture
was that there are thousands of men
turnout the country engaged in the ex-
ceedingly profitable business of buy
ing Peoria alcohol at trade prices-say,
$3.50 a gallon-Ietting it down with
water to half its strength. coloring and
favoring it. and selling it for 81 a gal
Ion upward. Every considerable town
has several of these "distillers and rec
who neither distil nor rectify,
but drive very lucrative business bv
plain alcohol-"neutrall
spirits" plain spirits" Cologne spir-
It's" "rectified Spirits" Silent spirits"
etc., etc, into whisky" There arel
hundreds of millions of dollars invested
in this business. which is mostly in the
hands of Jews. Jews also own or con-
troll most of the output of the old-fash-
Toned pot distilleries, and the fierce bat
tween two syndicates of Jews. In every
country the Jews take as naturally toll
the wholesale liquor business as theyt
do to banking and clothing; in this wayl
they revenge upon the Christians the |
wrongs Of their race.
The struggle which has been going on
has been so bitter, and the interests in |
volved so immense, that the Secretary
Of Agriculture referred the matter to
he Attorney-General for consideration. |
Mr.. Bonaparte went into careful and
:horo study Of the whole question, and
irst examines the spirit and intent of
he Pure Food law, and says:
'The primary purpose Of the Pure
Food law is to protect against fraud
consumers of foods or drugs; as an in
:idental or secondary purpose 1t seeks
o prevent, or at least discourage, the
lse of deleterious substances for either
purpose; but it's first aim Is to insure.
70 far as possible, that the purchaser
# an article of food or of a drug shall
,btain nothing different from what he
wishes and intends to buy. According
o the recognized canons OF Statutory
the language of its pro-
'isions must be interpreted with refer-f
nee to and in harmony with this pri-
nary general purpose. So that, in de-
the proper nomenclature for
rticles Of food as defined in the act,
he intention Of the law will be best
by giving to such articles
ames readily understood and convey
ng definite and familiar ideas to the
public, although such names
nay be inaccurate in view OF q chemist
r physicist or an expert in some par
ion and refining of Spirits
He then approaches the momentousI
uestion what is whisky?" and says:
Human experience has associated
ertain impressions on the senses Of ,
aste and smell with the consumption ,
t certain articles Of food, and the So
allied flavor which expresses the result
Mt of these Impressions, constitutes q 4,
actor of decisive weight In determin-t
1g the similarity or identity of SUBJ
tances of this character, TO the mind
I the ordinary member Of the COM
Iunity, quite irrespective of the rela-
We importance Of these chemical or .
hysical properties in the substances
'hich impart this flavor as compared
, their other chemical or physical l