New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-27
" HISKEY ISDEFlNED
Continued from first page.

Continued from first page.
things. that Canadian Club whiskey and
whiskev made from a mixture OF
straight" whiskey and neutral splr-
it's may be called a blend.
The definition Of blends is not made
broad enough to include neutral splr-
its made from moIasses and reduced
To potable strength This article, the
President saws. cannot be labelled as
whiskey: it is rum
TAKES WILEY TO TASK.
The President takes DR.. Wiley and
other chemists to task for a '1unda-
mental error" as to what the name
''whiskey'' has included during the last
one hundred years, and he also ex-
presses the opinion that Mr. Bowers
makes ''too nice a distinction" in his de-
auctions. IF" he says. speaking Of the
opinion Of Mr.. Bowers, high wines
at from 40 degrees 10 100 degrees when
reduced TO potable strength and con-
talniug a very small quantity of fusel
oil and Favored by burnt sugar are
whiskey. as he has found, then the mere
improvement in the process by continu-
Gus distillation so as to give d product
of from leo degrees to 1sS degrees proof
and still further to reduce its fusel oil.
is not to change it's whole nature or
TO make what was genuine 'whiskey'
imitation whiskey' because OF a slightly
reduced trace of one ingredient The
distinction rs too impracticable. in my
judgment, for the execution of the law
Continuing, the President says:
Those who make whiskey of "rectt-
fed "redistilled" or neutral spirits
cannot complain if, in order to prevent
further frauds. they are required 10 use
a brand which shall show exactly the
kind OF whiskey they are selling. For
that reason il seems TO me fair TO re-
quire them to brand their product as
''WhiS1ey made from reCtitied spirits or
'whiskey made from redistiIled spirits
or 'Whiskey made from neutral spirits,
as the case may be- and If aged in the
wood. as sometimes is the case with this
class Of whiskeys- they may add this
fact.
The public viii be made TO know ex-
aCtly the kind of whiskey they buy and
drink. If they desire straight Whiskey
they can secure it by purchasing what
is branded straight whiskey." If they
are willing 10 drink Whiskey made OF
der a brand showing it. and If they are
content with a blend of favOrs made by
the mixture of straight WhiSkey and
Whiskey made Of neutral spirits, the
brand OF the blend upon the package
will enable them 10 buy and drink that
which they desire. This was the intent
OF the act It Injuries no mans lawful
business, because 1t only insists upon the
statement of the truth IN the label If
[ those who manufacture Whiskey made
III =
'whiskey" without explanatory phrase
complain because the addition Of ''neu-
tral spirits" i'll the label takes away
some of their trade. they are without
Just ground. because they lose their
trade merely from statement of the
fact The straight whiskey men are re-
lieved from all future attempt 10 pass
off neutral spirits whiskey as straight
Whiskey. More than this. il straight
! whiskey or any other kind of whiskey
! is aged in the wood. the fact may be
/ branded on the package, and this claim
/ 10 public favor may truthfully be put
/ forth. Thus the purpose Of the pure
/ food law is fully accomplished in re-
: spect Of misbranding and truthful brand
/ ing
( REVERSES ROOSEVELT VERDICT
The decision follows the lines Of the
/ conclusions reached by the Royal Com
B ALt4SS4DL4 u N[-EclN S-4te14A anu IGNGESES
the verdict of ex-President Roosevelt
/ ex-Attorney General Bonaparte Solicitor
/ General Bowers and DR.. Wiley. chief Of
/ the Bureau of Chemistry. The Roose-
/ velt- BOnaparte- Wiley order denied the
use of the word "'Whiskey' in branding
/ to all liquor except straight whiskey."
/ the whiskey which Is aged in charred oak
/ casks. Mr.. Bowers extended the use Of
/ the word TO liquors made of "rectihed"
/ and distilled" spirits. President Taft
: goes a step further and includes blends
/ and whiskey made from neutral spirits"
/ Celebrating his conclusions, the Presi-
/ dent says:
After an examination of all the evi-
/ dence it seems to me Overwhelmingly
/ established that for a hundred years the
/ term ''whiskey' in the trade and among
! the customers has included all pOta BILE
liquor distilled from grain, that the
straight whiskey IS, as compared with
/ the whiskey made BY rectifica ton or re-
distillatiOn and tlavOring and colOring
| matter. subsequent improvement. and
. that therefore il Is a peTverSiOn of the
/ pure food act 10 attempt now to limit
. the meaning of the term 'whiskey'' TO
that which modern manufacture and
/ taste have made the most desirable va
B rlety-