Am'May,ri909arm'}        Crude  and  Powdered  Drugs.  235 
serious  an  act  as  that  of  intentionally  adulterating  an  article  intended 
for  the  use  of  the  sick.  Their  character  is  irreproachable,"  etc.,  etc. 
Everyone  drops  back  in  his  seat,  concluding  that  the  condition  of 
affairs,  though  deplorable,  is  inevitable.  If  it  is  true  in  this  case, 
who  knows  in  which  other  case  it  is  also  true  ?  The  wicked  adultera- 
tors who  happen  to  be  present  mentally  resolve  that  hereafter  they 
will  increase  the  25  per  cent,  of  adulterants  to  50  per  cent,  and  that 
they  will  be  safe  in  adulterating  a  few  more  things  which  fear  has 
previously  led  them  to  leave  in  the  pure  condition.  The  most 
effectual  means  possible  has  thus  been  employed  for  intrenching 
and  extending  the  evil  work. 
This  claim  has  worked  very  well  on  many  occasions,  simply 
because  to  dispute  it  was  impracticable.  It  is  a  very  easy,  safe  and 
agreeable  thing  for  men  to  publicly  claim  non-intent  for  each  other, 
but  a  very  disagreeable  and  more  or  less  dangerous  thing  for  one  to 
publicly  charge  evil  intent.  That  condition  will  never  again  exist 
in  this  Association,  so  far  as  this  subject  is  concerned.  It  is  true  that 
the  great  majority  have  no  positive  intent  to  engage  in  flagrant 
adulteration,  and  that  a  somewhat  smaller  majority  are  heartily 
opposed  to  it.  Yet  the  evidence  this  day  presented,  of  a  strictly 
legal  character,  is  conclusive  that  there  is  a  large  amount  of  adultera- 
tion, pursued  on  a  systematic  and  scientific  basis,  and  with  the 
employment  of  expert  assistance.  It  involves  conspiracy  to  defraud 
among  foreign  shippers,  home  importers,  millers  and  manufac- 
turers. It  is  perfectly  practicable  to  detect  and  criminally  convict 
every  one  of  the  parties,  and  the  evidence,  both  intra-  and  interstate, 
for  doing  this  in  the  case  of  a  considerable  number,  is  already  on 
official  file. 
The  question  next  arises  "  What  then?  "  Many  will  insist  upon 
wholesale  punishment,  but  those  who  carry  the  responsibility  for 
this  great  work  have  broad  fields  to  overlook.  Vengeance  is  not 
the  object  of  law.  The  greatest  possible  good  with  the  least  possible 
harm  is  the  motto  of  the  real  reformer.  If  a  new  entente,  in  which 
co-operation  for  the  common  good  is  general,  can  be  brought  about, 
it  will  be  worth  any  sacrifice  that  can  be  made.  When  it  appears 
that  no  amount  of  rational  procedure  or  patient  treatment  can  turn 
some  offender,  it  will  be  time  to  inflict  upon  him  a  punishment  so 
great  that  it  will  never  be  forgotten  either  by  him  who  suffers  or 
by  those  who  see. 
This  brief  statement  of  the  case,  sustained  by  the  evidence  of 
