OLEOMARGARINE. 359 



I have here with me a pile of protests coming from organized labor. 

 Organized labor, being familiar with the danger which confronts its 

 interests, has taken advantage of the opportunity which that familiarity 

 gives it to protest before the bill is passed, and, if possible, by such 

 protest, to prevent its passage. But the thousands, the hundreds of 

 thousands of men who are not organized can only protest (by virtue of 

 the fact that they are not organized) against this measure after they 

 become its victims. Then they will protest, as all unorganized indi- 

 viduals generally do. 



A great many people seem to think that the consumers of oleo- 

 margarine regard its use as a disgrace or as an evidence of impoverished 

 circumstances. This is not the case, gentlemen. I myself know of a 

 great many people in very good circumstances who use it from choice. 

 Some of our best families in Columbus use it from choice. I will ven- 

 ture to say that I could secure from a great many members of our board 

 of trade in Columbus, with many of whom I am personally and intimately 

 acquainted, statements to the effect that oleomargarine is constantly 

 consumed on their tables. It is no evidence of penury, and consequently 

 it is no disgrace for any man's child, or wife, or servant, or messenger to 

 go away from the grocery bearing in his hand, for c*ou sumption by the 

 family, a package of this oleomargarine, stamped as oleomargarine. 

 And it is no disgrace for such an individual or householder to go into 

 the grocery and before, or in the presence of, a great many other people 

 to say, "Give me a pound" or " two pounds of oleomargarine; and let it 

 be stamped, so that I shall know it as such." And our officious incum- 

 bents of certain State positions know this as well as they know they 

 are living. 



This precaution has become almost unnecessary now, because a great 

 many, and in fact nearly all of our grocers have become aware of the 

 necessity of giving people what they want; and in a case of this kind 

 90 per cent of our people, I will venture to say, want this product. If 

 the product should become inferior, or if it should be adulterated, no 

 one would detect the fact more quickly than the intelligent consumers; 

 and at the present time it is to the advantage of the oleomargarine 

 manufacturers that the general public know that they are buying oleo- 

 margarine, because, as I have said, it is preferable to butter. Any 

 deception that might be practiced would work a great injury to their 

 interests, simply because the people want oleomargarine and ask for it. 



I will state, gentlemen, from practical experience and from inter- 

 course with the general public in and around Columbus, Ohio, that it is 

 the general impression of the people that this bill can not get through 

 the Senate of the United States. In conversation with a great many 

 citizens I have heard them say: 



There need be no fear of that. Congressmen have motives of their own in sus- 

 taining such a bill they can not consistently avoid doing so; but members of the 

 Senate need not entertain any such fears. There is no possible danger of the bill 

 getting through the Senate. * The Senate is composed largely of men who have 

 graced judicial benches, of the most prominent and learned citizens of our country, 

 of men who have a proper appreciation of justice, and those men will not for a 

 moment tolerate any attempt to enact a law of this kind, which upon its face is so 

 grossly unjust and so apparently an attempt to utilize their body for the promotion 

 of private interests. 



As I was coming away from Columbus the other morning I passed a 

 blacksmith shop. There were brawny horseshoers in there, three or 

 four anvils ringing. They hailed me, called me in, and said : 



Off for Washington, Mac? Yes ; going at 11.35. Well, good luck to you, boy. God 

 speed you. We all hope you'll do good work for us up there. Do what you can 



