60 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



just as much as Baiiiett's or auybody's else? The object of the resolution 

 IS to correct tiiese wrougs tuat are going ou and to place the business 

 as nearly as possible in the hauus ot honest men. 1 can not see for 

 the lite of me why any class of men should be considered free-commoners 

 in this country, A\itli the right of just saying to their fellows, '*we will 

 send you what we have a mind to tor your product." I can not see why 

 any class of men should exjject any such right, to the exclusion of all 

 others, for there is no one else who has any such right, and there is 

 not any attempt made to correct any business or any methods but what 

 somebody opposes it. It seems to me there is nothing w'rong in the 

 adoption of the resolution by this association; and further, we have 

 the opinion of our congressman and senator, and the opinion of one 

 of the best judges in our state, that such a law would be just and honest, 

 and certainly could hurt no honest man and will dispose of the rogues. 



Mr. Barnett: One item of information for Mr. Walsh. There is on 

 the statute books of the state of Illinois a law which will enable any 

 shipper to go to the state's attorney, make his affidavit against any 

 commission man i^ the city, and if he is wronged, unless that man 

 at once rectifies it, he can be locked up in the county jail, without bail, 

 and sent to the penitentiary. 



Mr. Slayton: Does that include fruit sold from Michigan? 

 Mr. Barnett: From any state, anything that is sold and not paid for, 

 if sold in the state of Illinois, it is a penitentiary offense. 

 The President: Does that also include false returns? 

 Mr. Barnett: I presume it does. There was a man arrested in Chi- 

 cago, where it was claimed he sold 7,000 pounds of poultry out of a car- 

 load, and then the same attorney that said that he was engaged in keep- 

 ing the fellow out of the penitentiary told me just how he did it. They 

 could not put him in the penitentiary under this law, and that law 

 w^as more stringent than any law the United States congress will ever 

 pass. It is so difficult to prove intent with the wrong-doing, and it 

 is also very difficult to prove w^hat the market on your goods is, and 

 especially on perishable fruits. I simply speak of this as among the 

 difficulties of the question. I am not opposed to these resolutions, but 

 it is under the general discussion I want to air some of the practices 

 and set some of the facts out surrounding the commission business, and 

 enter my protest against vilifying honest commission merchants when 

 you are trying to reach the dishonest ones. 



Mr. Graham: It seems to be the popular idea here to-day to advocate 

 these resolutions, and I am well aware that in arising to speak against 

 them I am going against the popular will of this assemblage. But I 

 am opposed to the resolutions on general principles. I am opposed 

 to governmental inspection of private business matters. We have no 

 such thing in the United States to-day. I do not think we ever have had, 

 and I do not think we want it. Keference has been made to our banking 

 system of inspection. That is an entirely different matter. The gov- 

 ernment in a measure stands behind the banks, stands behind their 

 solvency, stands behind the bill-holder and makes his loss good. Can 

 thev pretend to do it in regard to commission men? If yon are going 

 to liaTO an inspection of commission men, whv single out the commis- 

 sion men who handle only farm products? Why not take them all? 

 Why not go further? Why not appoint a commission to make all men 



