Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1881 — Adulteration of Food. [ARTICLE]

Adulteration of Food.

Our theory of government and legislation is, that most of the small evils of life cure themselves, and that a dishonest dealer will not get custom and therefore cannot live in the presence of the honest dealer at the next corner. The simple fact to that it to the honest dealer who cannot live while the other thrives on every hand. But this theory that the peoS* le can take care of themselves, has iscouraged legislation that in other countries take care of them as to these difficulties. Hence the rogue has practically his own way—bread, meat, wine, whiskey, beer, butter, are all sophisticated. There is hardly an article of common use on the table that one can be sure to have pure at all times. Sausages are made in the city from the putrid carcases of animals, in which there is a regular traffic. How butter is made in oleomargarine has of late been repeatedly described, and there is no reason why people should be ignorant on this point. It is within the power of the board of health to suppress this traffic so far as touches the legal authority of that’ body, but we suppose the money given does not enable it to sustain a proper scrutiny over the retail trade of the whole city. It has reached the milk thieves, and watches the bad meat with some success, but otherwise the Slunderers of the poor have the whole eld to themselves. One of the grave consequences of the development reached by this villainy is, that Defore a great while it is certain to react injuriously upon that enormous trade in the necessaries of life that has grown up within a few years between thiscountry and Europe. An honest {mrsuit of that commerce would carry t eventually to propbrtions yet unimagined; tor the cheapness of production here, our ingenuity lu the contrivance of methods for putting in a distant market the most likely productions, our energy and capable commercial spirit, would give us the absolute command of the food markets of the world, as we have now of a few points in Europe. But oleomargarine will destroy the European market for American butter ;tricnina will destroy the market for our hams, and a few well authenticated cases of poisoning from American canned goods, wul shut them out of half the countries In Lurope.— N. Y. Herald.