. 



OLEOMARGARINE. 205 



Senator HEITFELD. Then you think if all butter was uncolored, 

 you could let your oleo go uncolored? 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Why, certainly. 



Senator HEITFELD. I would suggest a compromise with the dairy- 

 man throw away all the color. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Yes, sir; if they will do that. I noticed the gen- 

 tlemen on the other side laugh when I said that if all butter was white, 

 we could sell oleomargarine white. 



Senator HEITFELD. Oh, well, you had your laugh yesterday. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. I am going to have it again. I said that if all 

 butter was white we could sell oleo white; and that is true. I will tell 

 you why it is true. I am here to confess and to state that oleomargarine, 

 notwithstanding it is a distinct product known to science, is a product 

 that is used by people who use it for butter knowing that it is oleo- 

 margarine, and using the substitute instead of the real article. They 

 use it because it is a substitute. You may use the word " imitation" 

 if you please, and I will agree with you. It is an imitation of butter; 

 and being an imitation it is sold as the imitation, and people buy it 

 because it is an imitation, and they would not want it if it was not an 

 imitation. It is an imitation, precisely the same as cotton may imitate 

 worsted. People buy it because it is an imitation, and they know what 

 they are buying and they know what they are using. Would you 

 pass a law here that would destroy the use of all imitations ? Why, 

 it is one of my delightful recollections to think that for 25 cents I can 

 buy a painting that will imitate the finest paintings in the world by 

 the finest masters, and I buy it because it is an imitation. It is grati- 

 fying to me to know that for 25 cents I can buy a volume of Shakes- 

 peare that will contain just as good reading matter as the most expen- 

 sive edition that could possibly be put out. Imitations are not to be 

 legislated against. They are proper; they are legitimate; they are 

 right; and people will have them just as long as people live. 



So that if oleomargarine imitates butter, as it does, and people buy 

 it because it imitates butter, and would not buy it if it did not imitate 

 butter, then unless there is some reason other than has been given 

 here, there should be no legislation against it. The only reason sug- 

 gested is that in some instances it is sold for butter. I have already 

 stated that that is of too small consequence to be considered by the 

 Congress of the United States, because it amounts to so very, very 

 little. 



There is one feature of this discussion that I had supposed would be 

 entirely unnecessary to enter upon. That is the wholesomeness and 

 healthfulness of the article. I had supposed before coming here that 

 if there was one question that had been settled to the knowledge of all 

 men it was the question of the healthfulness of this article. Indeed, it 

 was so generally understood that I was not at all surprised at one 

 member of this committee, when that question was spoken of, saying 

 that he did not understand that that question was raised here. But, 

 gentlemen, it has been raised here. It has been raised here incidentally 

 by almost every speaker who has spoken in advocacy of this bill, and 

 notwithstanding the mass of testimony, the number of chemists, doc- 

 tors, and scientific men throughout the United States and elsewhere 

 throughout the world have testified to the entire healthfulness of this 

 article; yet, notwithstanding this, in this temple distinguished for learn- 



