OLEOMAEGAEIWE. 705 



spondence of the William J. Moxley Corporation, that was sent to its 

 customers at various times, touching on the color question and the 

 liability of prosecutions that would naturally follow if the letters of the 

 Illinois Dairy Union were to be taken seriously. 



Now, as to color; it is a well known fact that large dealers in butter 

 or oleomargarine will display and sell goods of different colors, and 

 they iind it necessary to do so in order to suit the requirements of their 

 different customers. Then, too, some particular district will use an 

 article that could not be sold in another market by reason of its being 

 too high or too light in color to properly appeal to the consumer's taste. 

 For example, the markets of the South, notably in St. Louis and New 

 Orleans, order what is known to the trade as an orange or brick color, 

 and it is popular with certain people in those districts, while in other 

 sections of the country it could not be sold at all, as a different shade 

 of color is demanded and the concern who issued the color card referred 

 to, recognizing the importance of every detail of its business, did so 

 for the purpose of avoiding confusion, by supplying its customers with 

 goods that would suit in color the requirements of their trade. There 

 is no deception practiced or intended, nor could there be, as the internal- 

 revenue law and regulations apply to all our product, regardless of the 

 amount of color used. 



In July, 1899, an attorney in Chicago, Hugh Y. Murray, claiming to 

 represent the Illinois Dairy Union, an organization that had no legal 

 existence, as it had never applied for or been granted a charter to oper- 

 ate under, but was composed of a few jobbers in butter in South Water 

 street, issued a letter over this assumed title, in which he said that the 

 Illinois Dairy Union had retained him to prosecute dealers who vio- 

 lated the State laws in selling oleomargarine, when he well knew that 

 the State law had been declared unconstitutional in every court in 

 which a case had been brought in Illinois. It was in reply to this let- 

 ter, and a similar one issued by Mr. Knight, who claimed to be the sec- 

 retary of the same organization, that we agreed through our circular 

 letter to defend our customers against prosecutions brought by these 

 people under the name of this assumed organization, and in doing so 

 it was not our purpose to defend violations of a law or to encourage any 

 dealer to commit violations thereof, but we simply endeavored to pro- 

 tect our business against a law that had already been declared uncon- 

 stitutional, and none but legitimate methods were employed in defense 

 of our customers; and I desire to be fully understood when I repeat 

 that it is our purpose to continue the defense of cases brought against 

 our customers by irresponsible organizations and agents oi renovated 

 butter manufacturers until the Supreme Court passes upon the consti- 

 tutionality of the laws in question, and we will then abide by their 

 decision. 



A vast amount of importance seems to attach itself to the correspond- 

 ence received by members of Congress from country districts urging the 

 passage of this bill as a protection to the dairy interests. It may be of 

 interest to you gentlemen to know through what channels this corre- 

 spondence passes before reaching members in Washington. These 

 appeals for protection are compiled and printed by one man in South 

 Water street, in Chicago, and mailed by him broadcast to the rural 

 districts throughout the country, with a personal letter asking the party 

 addressed to sign and direct the letter furnished him to his Representa- 

 tive in Congress, and as a reward for his trouble extend to him the hope 

 of a permanent increase in the price of his butter if they are successful 

 in destroying the oleomargarine industry. Would it not be as well to 



" S. Rep. 2043 45 (*123) 



