OLEOMARGARINE. 83 



u On one side stands one of the greatest of our agricultural inter- 

 ests, together with the millions of consumers who are tired of being 

 swindled. 



"On the other side stands the oleomargarine trust, engaged in 

 manufacturing a counterfeit, depending on lawbreaking, falsehood, 

 and deception for its success, backed up with millions of capital." 



I do not represent the manufacturers of oleomargarine, but I do 

 insist that neither the manufacturers of oleomargarine nor the repre- 

 sentatives of the live-stock interest or the cotton-oil industry of the 

 United States should be arraigned before this committee as, in the 

 language which I have read, guilty of such disreputable practices as 

 are alleged. 



Mr. HOARD. May I interrupt the gentleman ? 



Mr. SPRINGER. Certainly. 



Mr. HOARD. I will say, Judge Springer, that the statement there 

 made is based on the testimony of the dairy and food commissioners 

 of the United States, who have met those very propositions and facts 

 in their work the absolute bribery of merchants offering to place 

 certified checks in my own State on deposit, to defend merchants 

 against the infraction of our State laws if they would take up the sale 

 of oleomargarine. 



Mr. SPRINGER. I assume that I have correctly quoted you ? 



Mr. HOARD. You have, entirely. 



Mr. SPRINGER. The gentleman has not disclaimed it, as was done in 

 the other case. But other methods have been adopted by the friends 

 of this bill against which I desire to enter my solemn protest, and that 

 is the system of bringing undue influence to bear upon the constituents 

 of those who have had the courage to act in Congress so as to carry 

 out their convictions upon this great question. When the chairman 

 of the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives was 

 a candidate for reelection at the last election, circulars were sent into 

 his district bearing the signature of the gentleman who is here, Mr. 

 Knight. I will not ask the committee to consider those circulars, 

 unless the gentleman here states that this paper emanated from him 

 [handing paper to Mr. Knight]. 



Mr. KNIGHT [examining paper]. That was a letter written to Mr. 

 P. P. Hubbard, of Perry, N. Y. 



Mr. SPRINGER. By you? 



Mr. KNIGHT. Yes, sir; a letter, and not a circular. 



Mr. SPRINGER. A letter? 



Mr. KNIGHT. A personal letter written to Mr. Hubbard. 



Mr. SPRINGER. Mr. Hubbard was a constituent of Mr. Wadsworth? 



Mr. KNIGHT. Yes, sir. He wrote to me and asked me about Mr. 

 Wadsworth's position, and I answered it. You have got the letter. 



Mr. SPRINGER. This, then, is the answer that was given so as to rep- 

 resent the course of Mr. Wadsworth. The letter is as follows: 



NATIONAL DAIRY UNION, 

 "OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, 188 SOUTH WATER STREET, 



" Chicago, III., October 18, 1900. 

 "Mr. P. P. HUBBARD, Perry, N. Y. 



"DEAR SIR: You ask me to what extent Congressman Wadsworth 

 opposed the Grout bill. Well, if you have ever been in court and 

 observed a lawyer defending \\ criminal yon can understand how he 

 fought for the oleomargarine makers. He was the most active oppo- 



