Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-08
President Scharf Retorts.

Emil Scharf. pres dent of the league
considers Senator Heyburn's reply trife
harsh and decidedly beyond the mark.
Mr.. Scharf remarks:
I'VE said nothing to Senator Hepburn in
our letter about pure food, we spoke only
of cheap food. 1t is therefore inconceiN-
able why the senator should take offense
at our invitation to join this movement
and to subscribe to 1t. He seems to be
especially riled that did not seem to
know anything about the great work he
has been doing in behalf of pure food"
Senator's Letter to the League.
Senator Heyburns letter to Mr.. Milton
was follows:
Il have your stereotyped letter OF JAM
uary 21st requesting me to make sub
scription to your league and regretting
that was unable to attend the meeting
of the National Anti Food-Trust League
when the oreanizat on was completed
In reply l would say that / have con-
tributed several years of hard work with
success to the pure food cause. and ! am
continually carrying on that work. / infer
that your league does not know 1T. It
would be entirely appropriate for your
league to cooperate with me In the work
I am doing in the field where results are
attained. 1t is rather amusing that L
should be solicited to cooperate with a
league formed last Saturday that does not
seem to have been aware of the origin or
the pure food cause or of those who have
responsible standing in connection with it.
Needs All the Aid He Can Get.
II have now under consideration MANY
questions involving the pure food legfsla-
ton of the future, and l need all OF this
assistance and cooperation that I can
get.
1T is stated I'm your printed circular
of the league that the object of your
leaeue is to restrict the demand for any
particular food product by the simuita-
neous discontinuance by the members OF
the league and their friends in the use
of such product for given time not
definitely stated in the interdict This Is
a combination in restriction of trade and
is violation OF the Sherman antitrust
act. Quite a number of the members
Of your league are much opposed TO mt
nopolies and trade restrictions of tho
meat trusts and other trusts and combi-
nations. / would suggest that you give
some really serious and intelligent
thought to this question"
Cheap Food the Issue.
The reply of President Scharf to Sem
ator Hepburn, made public today, is as
follows:
1.-The letter of Senator Hepburn, ad-
dressed to Mr.. Milton, the secretary
treasurer of our league, is certainly wide
of the mark. We said nothing to him
about pure food, and the letter we sent
him spoke only of cheap food. 1t is
therefore Uncomfortable why the senator
should take offense at our invitation tn
join in this movement and to subscribe
to it. He seems to be especially riled
that We did not seem to know anything
about the great work he has been doing
in behalf of pure food, but there again
he is wrong, for we knew all about it.
only We were just now interested in
and perfectly willing to leave to him all
the glory and honor he might derive
from his pure food crusade.
Says Senator Is Wrong.
His assertion that our league is a COM
bination in restriction of trade is equally
we consulted eminent legal authority in
Washington, and were informed that we
could not direct a boycott against any
named enterprise, nor would 1t be advis-
able to recommend to our members not
to buy any stated article of food. but
we could, with perfect safety and legality
ask the members of the league not TO
eat or use any particular food. In this
position we would stand with the Catholic
authorities who require their members
not to eat meat on Friday, or with the
Catholics and Episcopalians who abstain
from certain foods during Lent. 1t is
very plain that this abstinence is a re-
striction of trade, but it is not an IL
ator Hepburn is unquestionably wrong"