The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-07-20
Protection Against Fraud

Government Protection Against Fraud
1imes.Democrat:
h pure food and drug law, which
doing such good work throughout
fhe country, has two objects in view
p protect the people against danger.
2us adulterants and poisons, and
against fraud. 1t was the protection
Of life which encouraged Congress
and the legislatures to take action,
and to require goods to be up to a GER
tain standard; and free from delete
fious substances. Thousands of per-
IONS had probably lost their lives
Through the use of poisonous mater
falls, the injection of dangerous adul-
terants. In the same way the lives of
patients fn4 been endangered by the
Adulteration OF substitution of medi-
0nes. >sasaeHra patients life depends
upon Ithe-usa of d certain drug and the
doctor or druggist furnishes ome
thing eht$seay different, or which has
aost i~tsforce or potency. it matters
little whether the substitute is in it.
Self innocent, it may, none the less,
cause death by denying the victim the
medical protection it was sought to
give him. Hence, when the State re-
Quires that the drugs used must be
pure it does so to protect human life
dts right to interfere is not only undis-
puted, but it is its duty to see that
citizens are protected against those
who would risk or sacrifice lives for
a petty gain.
But the pure food and pure drug
laws are not wholly for this urpose,
but are to protect the public equally
against being swindled. The senti-
'ment that the State should step in
and prevent fraud as far as possible
has always been more or less recog-
nfzed, but the practical operation of
this principle has been much broaden
ed of late, and it now appears to be
the settled policy of the government
that if it can stop fraud it ought to
do so, and compel the seller to sell
his goods for what they really are
and not under a false or bogus name
or character.
1t was established years ago that
articles sold as gold and silver must
be Of those metals and stamped "ster-
ling" and that goods that are simply
washed or plated should be sold as
such. From this beginning the tend
ency has spread to cover many
classes Of goods. Oleomargarine
must be sold as such, not as butter.
While it is recognized that there is
nothing in itself injurious in adding
pure water to milk, it has been pro-
hibited because it is a fraud on the
purchaser. The new requirement of
the food law, that all groceries must
contain on their labels a declaration
of what they really are, has brought
ONE remarkable facts to the knowl-
edge of housekeepers. Cans which
formerly purported to contain a
pound of ground Java coffee now
specify that they contain a "chicory
and coffee compound" and straw
berry preserves are frequently label
ed composed of tomatoes. cider, SUI
"a and strawberry Juice" There is
nothing dangerous in these adultera-
ants. Chicory, tomatoes, cider and
the other substitutes are not as good
as coffee ana Strawberries; or it may
be that they have no nutritive value
whatever, but they are not in them
selves harmful. The government in
terferes to prevent a swindle because
the innocent person cannot do so.
He cannot be expectd to know of the
presence of these adulterants or sub
s%titutes; he has no way of analyzing
them, whereas the government
has the finest chemical lab
oratories for this work. SINH
larly the government requires that
the jugs, a nj and packages shall be
correctly stamped as to the quantity
they contain; and the old rule that a