Rock Island Argus., 1907-01-10

Fl. W. WILEY AND WESTERN CORN STORAGE
| itate. III mountainous country the
variegated scenery is sufficient to occu-
py mems minds. hut OH the wide prai-
rieS or in the desert people must medi-
| tate, must do some solid thinking.
Nearly all great reform movements
| have originated in fiat countries"
In his own mcditationS Mr.. Murdock
arrived Mt the conclusion that the high
tax on alcohol was one Of the chief in
iqutieS of government Having been
imposed at Il time when the govern
ment sadly needed revenue. it was not
an instance of original sin. but it had
become sinful because of altered con
ditonS. 1t was n check upon indus
trial and individual development
An Inspiration From the Prairie.
Mr. Murdock introduced the first bill
for denatured alcohol lie may he
called, therefore. the father of free al
coh0l. IT was an inspiration from the
prairie, Il reform originating in a fiat
country. 1t spread rapidly over the
hills and hollowS of the nation. Every
body supported it. practically speaking
L
it in the open because il promised to
cripple that industry. Wood alcohol is
n poison for which there is no antidote
1t has horrible odor and gives off
fumes which produce blindness and
other serious effects upon workmen
who come in contact with the fumes.
1t has been used very largely in many
of the arts and industries which re-
quire alcohol. On wood alcohol no tax
has been imposed. Its poisonous char
acter precIuded its use in the making
Of liquors or medicines.
The labor unions strongly supported
the measure. largely because it was de-
sirable to get rid of wood alcohol In
the hat and shoe factories of New Eng
land and elsewhere and in the various
other Industries and occupations where
alcohol is necessary. Painters, wall
paperers and decorators are among
those whose health has been impaired
by reason of the use of wood alcohol
in the materials they must employ.
The farmers supported the bill solidly.
led by Hon. Nahum ]. Bachelor of
New Hampshire. head of the national
grange. with 100000 members.
A Still In His Own Back Yard.
At first Speaker Cannon of the ma
tioual house OF representatives opposed
the bill. but its advocates sent into
Uncle Joe's' Illinois district, IN the
great corn belt, some agents. who visit
ed the farmers and demonstrated the
superiority of an alcohol lamp over the
kerosene lamp. They showed that 1t
gave q much clearer and steadicr light.
did not smoke or smell, was not liable
to explosion and would be cheaper
than the old coal oil lamp If the alco
hol tax were removed But as the
clinching argument they told the farm
ers that any one of them, II the free
alcohol bill passed. could erect still
in his back yard or down by the creek
or duck pond and make alcohol for his
own use and for sale out of the ma
terials which were going to waste ON
his farm.
1t is understood that Uncle Joe"
heard from the farmers, and the bill
was no longer obstructed.
That little alcohol lamp visited many
other congressional districts. 1t shed
much light on the subject.
But after the bill became a law, to go
into effect on New Years day, 1t was
discovered that 1t lacked the one pro-
vision necessary to render its benefits
available to the small farmer. so that
he might set up his own little still
and convert his surplus crops and his
waste products into alcohol. The ap-
parent Intention of the trainers of the
measure. Mr.. Murdoch and his CO.
laborers. was to Introduce an atmos-
phere OF universal still life, so TO speak,
throughout the American rural commu-
mites. In Germany, for instance. there
are about 10000 stills where alcohol
for denaturing is manufactured under
government supervision. Very many
or these stills are quite smaIl--tne pack |
yard sort.
An amendment to the law which en- |
ables the small farmer to erect and |
operate bis still and meet the regula- |
tions without having to send his aico- l