OLEOMARGARINE. 519 



other side. Instead of passing a resolution condemning the Grout bill, 

 the chamber of commerce then instructed their resolution committee 

 unanimously to bring in a resolution indorsing the Grout bill. That 

 is the kind of verdict we get from disinterested and fair-minded people. 



Senator DOLLIVER. I do not regard that question as material. 



Mr. KNIGHT. No; but it is being introduced here. 



Senator DOLLIVER. So far as Congressmen should be governed by 

 the views of their constituents, they have superior means of finding out 

 what their constituents want. But I do not regard it as material to go 

 into that. 



Mr. SCHELL. I would like to say that Senators have not alone received 

 these letters and telegrams. It might be suggested that they have 

 been instigated by some dairy-paper publisher. Last evening we had 

 some letters coming from Cincinnati, and before we are through here I 

 will find out and send to the committee the reasons why. 



Mr. KNIGHT. I can explain it. 



Senator HANSBROUGH. Perhaps they'came here after the fashion of 

 the telegram of Attorney Coyne. 



Mr. KNIGHT. I can explain that. That interests Mr. Schell ; he is 

 from Cincinnati. I will say that I telegraphed that one man from Cin- 

 cinnati, an attorney for the oleomargarine people, had made a state- 

 ment to the effect that oleomargarine was sold only as oleomargarine 

 in the city of Cincinnati; that it was all properly stamped, and that 

 there were no violations of the law. 



Mr. SCHELL. I beg pardon. I did not put that in that report. I 

 said they were violations of the color law. 



Mr. KNIGHT. I asked this friend of mine in Cincinnati to find out 

 and have merchants of Cincinnati write me if that were so. He went 

 to them and submitted my telegram, and they answered it and furnished 

 me that information. I have furnished it to the committee, and if you 

 want it I will give you a copy of the telegram I sent him. I don't know 

 but I have it in my pocket. 



Mr. JELKE. Regarding the statements or letters presented from 

 Cincinnati by Mr. Knight, 1 should like to call attention to some clip- 

 pings from the Cincinnati Enquirer of January 9 and 10. It appears 

 that some years ago there was a produce exchange in Cincinnati. That 

 produce exchange was an association of the small commission mer- 

 chants and butter dealers and dealers in butter and eggs and poultry. 

 The produce exchange went to pieces largely on account of a corner on 

 eggs that was engineered by a couple of members who had bought 

 futures in eggs for December delivery. The contract stated that they 

 were to be delivered u fresh in season." Naturally the parties who 

 bought the eggs supposed they were fresh-laid in December. But there 

 happened to be a majority of the people who were on the short side of 

 that corner, and they ruled that they were supposed to be such eggs 

 as could be called fresh eggs in December, no matter whether they had 

 been laid in the previous June, July, or August. So there was quite a 

 bitter feeling stirred up, and the produce exchange practically went to 

 pieces in consequence of it. Now, Mr. Knight brings in some letters 

 from just such merchants; I do not question but that they araall good 

 people. But let me read his extract from the Cincinnati Enquirer of 

 January 9 : 



The board of directors of the chamber of commerce 



That is the leading body of merchants in Cincinnati, corresponding 

 with such a body as do business in Chicago, known as the board of 



