OLEOMARGARINE. 601 



only moderate profits, with an opportunity for broad competition, which 

 seemed small compared with former profits and prices. 



The outcome has been a new policy upon the part of the makers of 

 oleomargarine. No place in the country, so far as we are able to ascer- 

 tain, are they making an effort to create a market for their goods 

 under its own true color and in accordance with State laws. In Illinois 

 two years ago, when the anticolor law was first passed and some retail 

 dealers made an effort to sell the uncolored article in compliance with 

 the law, they were discouraged by an extra charge of "2 cents per 

 pound for oleomargarine without coloring in it. It was at this time 

 that the firm of Armour & Co., of Chicago, through the decision of 

 Philip D. Armour, retired from this business entirely and has not since 

 handled a pound of oleomargarine, Mr. Armour giving it out that he 

 was a law-abiding citizen and would not countenance the violation of 

 the laws of his own State. 



The remaining manufacturers, however, throughout the country, 

 entirely abandoned any pretense of obeying State laws. They adopted 

 the policy of going- to the retail dealers and urging them to violate the 

 laws of their State. They provide for a defense fund, and whenever 

 prosecutions are made those prosecuted are defended by the best of 

 legal talent, attorneys who have made a study of the question of 

 harassing the State and securing continuances or dismissals through 

 legal technicalities. The ordinary State's attorney can not cope with 

 these experienced practitioners upon this subject, as a rule, and never 

 is money spared to make the prosecution as expensive to the State and 

 as disagreeable to those connected therewith as possible. 



Therefore, in attempting to enforce its laws the ^tate is not dealing 

 with the retailer, who, if unsupported, would remain a law-abiding 

 citizen. Upon the other hand, every time an arrest is made the fight 

 is taken up by the entire oleomargarine industry, with its millions of 

 money and enormous influence among a certain class of politicians who 

 at times manage to reach the sacred ear of the judge who presides in 

 the case. 



The prosecution of such offenders requires the very highest grade of 

 talent, and their conviction experience and a statute which will stand 

 the onslaught of the most resourceful lawyers. A law may have 

 answered for years in regulating other evils, but when contested by 

 such ability as is employed by the oleomargarine millions, might be 

 picked to pieces and rendered absolutely worthless through the manip- 

 ulations and researches of the experienced tricksters. No technical- 

 ity is too small for them to take advantage of and make the prosecu- 

 tion the expense of a test case in the Supreme Court. 



However, the actual condition of the oleomargarine traffic as it 

 exists to-day is probably the best indication of the inability of the 

 States to enforce their laws against this subject. 



The oleomargarine makers contend that the people will not eat their 

 product unless it has the color of butter. They will not admit that it 

 is possible to sell any quantity uncolored. Therefore it is entirely safe 

 to assume that the oleomargarine made during the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1899, was made in semblance of butter almost to a pound. 

 The statement of Secretary Gage in response to Congressman Tawuey's 

 resolution showed where the product of this year had been consumed. 



The table below exhibits the number of pounds sold in each State as 

 shown by Secretary Gage's report, the compiler hereof having divided 

 the list into two classes; first, showing the amount sold in States 



(*19) 



