274 OLEOMARGARINE. 



as much as the white oleomargarine would. Somebody has said that 

 we make a greater effort to appear happy than to really be so; and 

 that is the fact. That, perhaps, prevails more in the wealthier class 

 than it does in the poor class ; but it prevails in every class of humanity. 



On this subject I might also quote the remark that " a hole may be 

 the accident of a day, but a patch is premeditated poverty." The gravy 

 might be the accident of a day, but white oleo would be premeditatc-d 

 poverty; and the man must so advertise to his children and the visitor 

 who sits at his board. 



In addition to these classes, every man who is willing that others 

 should have the same right which he claims for liimself is on our side 

 of the fence; and the man who denies to me any right which he claims 

 for himself is a robber and a thief just as much as if he should rob me 

 of my money. 



Now, gentlemen, I had intended going into an analysis as to what 

 was presented by our side before the House committee; but I will have 

 to cut that out, and will merely refer to some testimony which I want 

 to use in argument. I quote Commissioner Wilson, at page 108 of the 

 House report, where he says: 



"I should regard the tax of 10 cents a pound on colored oleomargarine 

 as prohibitive. 1 do not think the manufacturers can do much with it 

 with a tax of that amount. I think the bill would defeat the end of 

 deriving any revenue from the sale of colored oleomargarine. I think 

 that would be largely the resul of its passage." 



Then he goes on to recommend a change in the existing law. He says : 



" I would recommend a change which would require the manufacturer 

 to put up statutory packages in subpackages to meet the 'lowest demand 

 of the retail trade and the highest demand of the wholesale trade, upon 

 each of which subpackages should be impressed, in such a way that it 

 could not be obscured or obliterated without manifest effort and inten- 

 tion, the word l Oleomargarine; 7 ' 7 and that, Mr. Chairman and gentle- 

 men of the committee, would so hedge about the sale of colored 

 oleomargarine that the only place in which it could be palmed off on an 

 unsuspecting consumer would be at the hotels. It would practically 

 be driven to a corner. And then these food commissioners, who come 

 here in the interests of their jobs, or perhaps in the interest of their 

 constituents who furnished them jobs, would only have to go to the 

 hotels; and how many hotels could stand an expose of that kind more 

 than once? Why, they could not stand it at all. 



Let them attach penalties. Let them fix it so that every conviction 

 will add to the revenues. It is charged by the friends of the bill that 

 the internal-revenue people will not enforce this act because it does not 

 affect their revenues. Let them attach such fines, such penalties, as 

 will enable them to get wealthy, so that every other revenue can be 

 abolished, if need be. We do not care. We want it sold on its merits. 

 Hedge it about as you will, but do not say to the poor people, u You 

 can not have colored butter" for it is butter u on your table," and to 

 the rich people, " You can have yours colored." 



It is just as bad to legislate that the man with a limited income 

 should wear a certain colored suit of clothes, while the rich man could 

 wear anything he pleased. It is identically the same proposition. 



Commissioner Wilson goes on to say and he ought to know this: 



My judgment is that the amount of this material that is sold as butter is not nearly 

 so large as some people believe; and my judgment is that there is not nearly so 

 much viciousness as is commonly supposed in the sale of that which is not marked. 

 I make a distinction, in other words, between that which is sold as butter and that 



