OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. OLIVER. There is about $3,000,000 worth sold this year and last, 

 and 1,000,000 tons of cake ground into meal, or sold as meal. Eight 

 there, why not tax cotton seed cake to prevent its being a competitor of 

 oil cake, and corn meal, and wheat bran. You have just as much right 

 to do it, and it is exactly as just. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Speaking of oleomargarine being made of the oil of 

 cotton seed, I will ask you if it is not a fact that cotton-root tea and 

 cotton seed tea have not been used for the purpose of producing 

 abortions'? 



Mr. OLIVER. Cotton seed or root tea has been used ever since it has 

 been known for that purpose, but cotton-seed oil has no such effect. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Have you positive proof that it has no such effect? 



Mr. OLIVER. We have chemists all over the world, who are constantly 

 experimenting, and as they have experimented with oleomargarine, I 

 think they would have discovered that fact if it had been a fact. I do 

 not believe you can find a chemist who has given an adverse opinion 

 against oleomargarine. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Don't you know that it is a fact that chemists have 

 given ample evidence on both sides of this question? 



Mr. OLIVER. I presume that that is true to some extent, and the 

 evidence they have given has generally been according to the interests 

 of those who employed them. There are dishonest chemists. But 

 almost invariably the evidence has been favorable to the cotton seed 

 product. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Now, you have stated it as a fact that there was no 

 one advocating this legislation excepting a few farmers, disreputable 

 and dishonorable men, who wanted to palm off' a fraud with their home 

 manufactured oleomargarine; that they were the only ones urging this? 



Mr. OLIVER. That was my statement, that it was being urged by 

 that class. 



Mr. NEVILLE. How do you account for the fact that the legislatures 

 of thirty-two States have already passed stringent laws prohibiting the 

 sale of oleomargarine ? 



Mr. OLIVER. Simply because the political power of the parties in 

 those States has been used in that way, and those in power are dic- 

 tated to, or their leg pulled, or wire-pulling of some kind, which made 

 them think it was necessary to advocate these laws. 



Mr. NEVILLE. That would not apply to those who are represented 

 by legislators who are not of their political faith f 



Mr. OLIVER. It applies to both parties, or all three parties, if you 

 want to call it three parties. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Then it is simply that condition of corruption which 

 you think has spread all over this country to which your remarks 

 apply? 



Mr. OLIVER. Yes, sir; I do think so, in this line. But, when it comes 

 to corruption and defrauding of the public, there is more defrauding 

 to day in the clothing you are wearing and others are wearing in this 

 room than in any article you can mention. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Do you believe, because it has gotten to this corrupt 

 state in all manufacturing matters with the people of this country, 

 that it is too late, and no use to try to do anything to make it better? 



Mr. OLIVER. I believe the more laws you have the greater will be 

 the corruption. You will kill, absolutely, the manufacture of oleomar- 

 garine on an honest, honorable basis; and you will put it into the 

 hands of the secret manufacturers, farmers, and others, who are like 

 money shavers, and the Government will not receive any tax to 

 amount to anything. 



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