304 OLEOMARGARINE. 



four-fifths, as they say, of the population of the Union; and yet they 

 pretend to defend their position by saying that they only want the 

 thing equalized. Gentlemen, they do not want it equalized. They are 

 not playing fair. They are not capable of playing fair. 



And, gentlemen, it will not help the people they purport to represent. 

 They have not shown that we hurt them. The testimony shows that 

 butter commands a higher price now than it has for twenty-live years; 

 that milk is higher than it has ever been. Not only have they not 

 shown that we have hurt them, but they have not shown how the pro- 

 posed legislation would help them. 



They fail entirely in the claim which they have made before you. 

 They have not even shown any considerable bona fide country call for 

 this legislation. We analyzed that claim yesterday. We analyzed the 

 6,000,000 or 5,000,000 down to less than 30,000, and all of them could 

 not be induced to put up 50 cents apiece; and we do not know the exact 

 sentiments of those who did put up the 50 cents apiece. They are not 

 on record here. Their representative is not on record definitely. Every 

 pressure (we will not say argument, we can not say argument) brought 

 to bear has borne the earmarks of some politician or publisher who 

 makes a nefarious no, a precarious living through creating dissatisfac- 

 tion among the farmers and getting employed to relieve their wants. 

 Even the Philadelphia commission men who appeared were in leading 

 strings, with an extra string attached to their leader in the presence of 

 the author of the bill, who came in and sat down there ; and when the 

 leader was going to put his people on record he was coached by Eepre- 

 sentative Grout. He asked questions, both suggestive and leading 

 questions, of the witness for his side, and then told him what he really 

 wanted him to say, and he said it. 



When we analyze "the united dairy sentiment of the nation," as 

 alleged in the outset in the House hearing, we invariably end up with 

 Mr. Knight, Governor Hoard, and General Grout. They remind me of 

 that well-known story of Mr. Lincoln, in which he told three persist- 

 ent office seekers that they reminded him of the Sunday-school boy 

 who was reading the chapter in the Bible about the Hebrew children 

 and the fiery furnace. He had repeatedly stumbled over the three 

 names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and finally he broke down, 

 and said, "Well, here are those three rascally fellows again!" 

 [Laughter.] And in whatever way we turn, we run up against this 

 same trio. We can not get around them. They are what is alleged to 

 be the "united dairy sentiment of the nation;" and they have not 

 shown their credentials to this committee. 



But that is not our main contention. Although they have demanded 

 our property without price or process of law, and have not shown why 

 we should give it up, or what good it would do them if they did, nor 

 have they really tried to produce arguments. They say, " We are 

 backed by 5,000,000 farmers. Give it to us, or we will turn them loose 

 on you in your next campaign ! " 



They employ this alleged army as advance skirmishers, to show their 

 supposed mightiness, by having letters and telegrams galore sent to 

 members of your honorable body. Such methods should receive the 

 censure they deserve; and the gentlemen should be shown that such 

 methods, like packing stock butter, belong to a past age. 



The present laws are sufficient if enforced, and they are capable of 

 enforcement. That is shown by their own people, their own testimony. 

 But that is not reason enough. We want the best possible legislation. 

 The substitute bill will do what it is claimed is wanted. The factories 



