OLEOMAEGAEINE. 219 



honestly. You can take all the branches of the combined agricultural 

 business of the country, and put them together, and you will find that 

 the whole combination is not as corrupting in its influence as oleomar- 

 garine. 



Now, I can show you very clearly how that is. For instance, take 

 a market like some of our markets in Philadelphia. Here is a man 

 who buys oleomargarine to sell. Let us say that he has the privilege 

 of doing it. He buys oleomargarine; and a person comes and asks, 

 "Is that pure butter?" He says, "No, that is oleomargarine;" and 

 the person leaves and goes to another stand. He inquires of that 

 dealer whether what he sees is pure butter. The dealer has oleomar- 

 garine on his stand, but he is unscrupulous, and he says that it is pure 

 butter. Then the party buys it, believing it to be pure butter. 



Now, under those conditions the balance of the men in that market 

 have either got to become corrupt and liars themselves, or they have 

 got to get out of the business; and the temptation is strongly in favor 

 of their becoming liars. So that if you follow the thing up closely, 

 you will find that it is one of the most corrupting things that has ever 

 been fostered upon the people. We are honest in this matter. I will 

 admit that there is not a man here who has not a measure of selfishness 

 in him. I will admit that. Take the farmers, and there is a measure 

 of selfishness in them; and in the retailers, and in the wholesale deal- 

 ers, and the buyers of ordinary butter. We have all got a measure of 

 it; but there is one truth here and one fact, and that fact is this that 

 oleomargarine is a fraud. It is a cheat. It is not fair to call it an 

 imitation. It is a counterfeit, and it is the most deceiving thing that 

 has ever gone in the mouths of the people. 



I went home not very long ago and our folks were out of butter and 

 I found a very nice half pound of "butter" on our table. As soon as 

 I saw it, being accustomed to butter and knowing what it is, 1 of course 

 readily detected that it was oleomargarine. I said to my wife, ' c Where 

 did you get that?" " Well," she said, "I bought it around the corner. 

 We just happened to be out of butter." Said I, "What did you pay 

 for it?" "Twenty cents for half a pound." "Well," said I, "that is 

 oleomargarine. " And I was one out of probably ten thousand people 

 who would have noticed it. 



Gentlemen, I do not want to take any more time. I am very much 

 obliged to you. 



Mr. JELKE. Will the gentleman permit me a question ? 



Mr. HABECKER. Certainly. 



Mr. JELKE. You are in the butter business ? 



Mr. HABECKER. I am in the butter business. 



Mr. JELKE. Do you know anything about process butter? 



Mr. HABECKER. Yes, sir ; I do. 



Mr. JELKE. You handle that? 



Mr. HABECKER. I do, sir ; have you got anything to say against it? 



Mr. JELKE. That is all, sir. 



Mr. KAUFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, the next gentleman who wishes to 

 address you is Mr. Joseph C. Sharpless. 



