The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-06-08
SENATOR PAGE AND THE LEMON
Acid Comment on Great Senator's
Sweet Views of a Sour Subject

"Mr Page, / should like to ask the
senator from New York if the advan-
tage of the American producer is not
sufficiently great so that in few
years he ought to control the entire
market and prevent any importation.
Congressional Record"
1t seems to us that the Vermont
senator is trying to force too fast that
happy condition where, first we must
all be taxed,-SO millions OF us-to en-
rich a score of Californians; and sec
ond. TO enrich the so millions by this
popular process of taxing oRrseWes
and. third, to enable us all to defy
Newton's supposed law and lift our
selves by our boot-straps, says the
Burlington News.
When the happy time that Mr.. Page
is seeking comes along-if it ever
comes-and we can defy all laws of
economics and gravitation; and when
Senator Flint and his California lem
on growers become angels; we will all
taen be willing to exclude from our
paradise all the lemon growers of be-
nighted Europe Asia, and Africa. In
the meantime, Senator Page would
tax the lemon beyond all reason, ex-
cept the one reason for all nigh tariff
taxation, namely to enrich the privil-
eyed few.
The lemon is household necessity
Every happy and healthful home in
this country uses it, This branch of
the citrus family therefore is an ex-
tremely important fruit-probably the
most useful and no doubt the greatest
medicinal fruit given by nature to man.
1t is much more than medicinal, how
ever. 1t makes an indispensable flaw
oring extract and is the basis of
most attractive and healthful beyer-
age known in Lamoille county as lem
onade, and a highly popular drink it
is. The lemon imparts tone and flaw
or to many popular drinks, including
whiskey sours, hignbals and many
other connections that tickle the pal
ares of hosts of men who live beyond
] the limits of Lamoille county, Yer
mont. Far be 1t from us to suggest
that any man in that county over put
the noble lemon to such ignoble uses
! We have more or less sympathy for
Senator Root in this lemon affair. We
do not for a moment charge Mr.. Root
vita any personal feeling-as some
paper has already done-on so deli.
cate a matter as the use of this popu-
lar anti-scorbutic to flavor certain
| beverages that have heretofore been
known TO senators of the United
| States as tea" The inevitable rise
in price of lemons by an increase in
the tariff might seriously add to the
cost of some of these popular bever-
ages and perhaps by omission make
them less palatable and healthful. At
any rate our applause must go to Mr.
| Root in tnis case. He made an ad
mirable fight in favor of a fruit that
Is a necessity in every home.
Here is the comment of a well
known writer on this lemon discus
sion:
The lemon industry of California
doesn't need any further protection
when as Senator Root showed yester-
| day the growers are earning $50 per
cent profits on their fruit Apparent
y the Florida lemon growers did not
have defender upon the Senate
floor. Inc skin of the Florida lemon
is thinner and the percentage of juice
| is much larger than is to be found in
| the California fruit.
The chief use of California lemons.
is for highballs, its thick skin contains
more prussic acid than does the rind
of the Spanish or Sicilian fruit. But
for lemon syrups and for pies. the
| European lemon is far superior to any
raised in the United States. Why we
| in tne Eastern states should be at the
mercy of the trans-continental railroad
mpanies-because the additional
| half cent per pound will make Cali.
: fornia lemons quite as costly as for
| eign ones-cannot be explained. 1t is
/ merely for the benefit of a small sec
/ ton of this republic Lemonade has
almost ceased to be drunk, as a bev-
i erage Bartenders tell me that fond.
ness for the concoction has practically
/ become restricted to 'rubes' or coun.
try visitors The once much honor.
/ ed sherry cobbler' has gone the same
way, only more so. Claret punch.
which always was vile drink (as il
must be wherein sour wine is sweet
ened and contains sliced cucumber to
give it a totally new favor, is now
| absorbed by cheap Johnnie boys and
low chorus girls. The latter hasn't
developed champagne tastes. That
is a roseate dream of the distant fu
ture.