OLEOMARGARINE. 355 



the same relish that I would if it bore a nice natural rosy color. In 

 the same way, we from our childhood have been used to eating butter, 

 and in a great many instances have relished it. Now, if we are pre- 

 sented with a white product, even though we are convinced that it is 

 as good and as wholesome as butter. I say to you that it is impossible 

 for us to relish it as much as if it bore the proper color. 



Now, I can not see why, when this coloring matter is absolutely harm- 

 less, and at the same time makes the product attractive and appetizing, 

 the Congress of the United States should say to the citizens of the 

 United States, "You shall not enjoy that advantage ; you must eat it 

 white." We say, " Why?" " Well, because we say so." " But is there 

 any particular harm in eating it if it is colored with a harmless and 

 wholesome coloring matter?" " No; there is no particular harm in it; 

 but we want you to eat it white. For reasons we do not care to explain, 

 the future welfare of the nation depends upon people eating this product 

 white." 



Gentlemen, I can not see any argument in favor of compelling us to 

 eat it white, if we prefer to eat it yellow, as long as it will not injure 

 our health. 



For example: Suppose I, when working in my capacity as locomotive 

 fireman, come in from a hard run, and there are two tables set one a 

 bare board, greasy and black, such as our oil cans temporarily rest 

 upon in the oil room; and that is laden down with the most attractive 

 and luscious viands. Suppose that on the other side there is a table 

 with a nice white cloth on it, glistening silverware, sparkling water in 

 clean glasses, clean cups for the coffee, etc., but the food is not up to 

 the standard of that which is resting upon the table of inferior appear- 

 ance, and I, being very hungry, have a choice as to which table to eat 

 from. Why, I would most certainly go to the clean table and eat a 

 much heartier meal, and a meal that I can digest better, notwithstand- 

 ing the inferiority of the food. There is no question, gentlemen, but 

 that the appearance of the food we eat has a great deal to do with it, 

 and also with the relish we may experience in consuming it. _ 



But, speaking about the tax on oleomargarine, I can not, nor can 

 any of my colleagues, understand why there should be any tax upon it. 

 We have laws in Ohio regulating the closing of saloons at certain 

 hours on week days and all day on the Sabbath. Quite a large num- 

 ber of saloons violate these laws, yet I have never heard of legislation 

 being attempted for the abolition of the saloon business in Ohio. They 

 remain at the old stand, and do business right along, although hun- 

 dreds and thousands of our good citizens are clamoring for their aboli- 

 tion, or for the enforcement of those laws. We have in the United 

 States a product known as whisky. The Government has exerted all 

 of its powers to try to enforce a certain tax known as the internal- 

 revenue tax upon the manufacture of that product. But we all know 

 that there are still illicit distilleries in operation. We all know that at 

 the present time there are being manufactured large quantities of 

 whisky from which the Government does not derive one cent of reve- 

 nue. Yet the Congress of the United States has never undertaken to 

 enact legislation abolishing the manufacture of whisky. 



Some of our ambitious officeholders in Ohio Brother Blackburn, for 

 instance, or his attorney tell us that because it is difficult to secure 

 convictions under the existing laws we should have legislation enacted 

 which will absolutely prohibit the manufacture of this article. It would 

 be just as sensible for a man to say that as humanity is liable to commit 

 murder through the possible moral perversion of one or two or three of 

 its individuals in each community a proper preventative precaution to 



