472 OLEOMARGARINE. 



antagonize any class of men who are endeavoring to protect their inter- 

 ests. Labor unions are organized for the protection of their own 

 interests; they are organized to get better prices for their product, 

 that of their own hands, and they are in favor of everybody else doing 

 the same thing. I never saw a fairer lot of men in this matter than 

 the laboring men whom I have talked with. 



Mr. McNAMEE. Will Mr. Knight yield to a few questions? 



Mr. KNIGHT. No: not right now. When I read this, I will. 



As an evidence of this fact, in 1897, when we had before the legisla- 

 ture of the State of Illinois a law which sought to prohibit the coloring 

 of oleomargarine in the semblance of butter, known as the Fuller bill, 

 which I was looking after at the time, and which passed the legislature 

 finally, I went to the Federation of Labor of the city of Chicago and 

 called on its legislative committee. I called those gentlemen together 

 and I told them the condition of things in Chicago. I showed them 

 what we were attempting to accomplish, and asked their cooperation 

 in the matter. I asked them if they could not give the indorsement of 

 the Federation of Labor. They said they did not think there was any 

 doubt but what they could. I now want to read you from the Chicago 

 Federationist, a labor paper, of the date of April 9, 1897 : 



WORKINGMEN INDORSE IT ANTICOLOR BILL APPROVED BY THE CHICAGO FEDERA- 

 TION OF LABOR COLORED OLEOMARGARINE CONDEMNED AS A FRAUD A RESO- 

 LUTION PASSED AT LAST SUNDAY'S MEETING INDORSING THE FULLER BILL IS 

 UNANIMOUS LABOR IS AGAINST THE FRAUD. 



The defenders of the colored oleomargarine fraud have had their last prop knocked 

 from under arguments. 



For years they have pleaded for protection of oleomargarine " in behalf of the 

 working man." Oleomargarine was christened "the poor man's butter 7 ' by those 

 who were aiding manufacturers in making millions off the same "poor man." 



The anticolor bill was brought before the Chicago Federation of Labor by the 

 legislative committee of that body Sunday, April 4, by Chairman Williams, who has 

 claimed that large quantities of oleomargarine were being dealt out in the city by 

 retailers to those who called for butter and paid for butter. This fraud was made 

 possible, he stated, because of the fact that the substitute was made in perfect sem- 

 blance of butter, and the workingman was the chief victim. He explained that the 

 only remedy for this fraud was the enactment of a law which would make it possible 

 for buyer and consumer to distinguish the compound whenever he saw it. 



Only one delegate in the entire body objected to the indorsement of the measure, 

 and after he thoroughly understood the question he moved to make the vote for its 

 adoption unanimous, which was done. 



The sentiment expressed by the different delegates to the federation at the close 

 of the meeting was that, should a petition be circulated among the army of work- 

 ingmeu of Chicago calling for the passage of the Fuller anticolor law, it would 

 meet with no opposition. 



Then the resolution which was passed at that time, and which I have 

 in my possession in the city of Chicago, reads as follows : 



CHICAGO, April 4, 1897. 

 CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, 



Secretary Dairy Union. 



DEAR SIR: At a meeting of the Chicago Federation, held on the 4th instant, that 

 body unanimously indorsed the Fuller bill, and requested all subordinate bodies to 

 use their utmost to secure its passage. 



Very truly, VICTOR B. WILLIAMS, 



Chairman Legislative Committee, Chicago Federation of Labor. 



I will tell you something in connection with that. When the bill was 

 passed the box-makers' union, which was a member of this Federation 

 of Labor, found out that they had been making the boxes for oleomarga- 

 rine, so they began to see the matter in a different light. After they 

 found their boxes were used to hold oleomargarine they came to the 



