ri Che Conservative ,
thereby avoiding the waste attending
reckless competition , and enabling the
patron of the road to get the benefit of
this saving.
What are known as anti compact laws ,
prohibiting fire insurance companies
, , _ , _ , , . from agreeing up-
IJonollclal.
I'oolhiK , , ,
on rates , have been
enacted in many of the states. As THE
CONSERVATIVE pointed out a few weeks
ngo , the rates are higher in these states
than in those where the companies are
unhampered , privileged to increase or
decrease the rate as the fire risk may
demand. The same principle holds true
in regard to railroad companies. As Mr.
Thurber suggests , if the inter-state
commerce law was amended by repeal
ing the pooling prohibition so the rail
roads could enforce their contracts upon
each other , leaving the inter state com
merce commission to investigate and
show up unjust discriminations , backed
up by the courts , an advance would be
made in railway control that would lead
to an eradication of the discrimination ,
which is now the chief cause of com
plaint.
The government ,
FRKE MEDICINE. .
following out the
plan of gratuitous distribution of worth
less garden seeds , is now undertaking
the manufacture of black leg vaccine
and supplying it freely to the cattle
interests. THE CONSERVATIVE can see
no more reason why the government
should supply the vaccine for cattle than
it should freely furnish virus to vaccinate
mankind against small pox. If it is
within the province of the government
to supply the means of aiding people to
become immune as to small pox , it is
just as much a part of the function of
government to furnish gratuitous
medicinal treatment and medical care
in case of the failure of the preventive
to work properly. If the government
once acknowledges its responsibility for
the care of small pox patients , it will
next be called upon to extend its patern
alism to all forms of human ailments.
A preference for small pox would be
clearly an unjust and unwarranted dis
crimination against many other equally
deserving and popular afilictions. It is
only a question of a very short time
until the buioau of animal industry will
be converted into a hospital and the
government warehouse will be indis
tinguishable from an ordinary apothecary
shop.
THE CONSERVATIVE most emphatically
endorses the protest , of the manufac
turers of vaccineagainst the government
engaging in trade and thus destroying
what has developed into a business of
considerable magnitude , as a result of
the investment of not a little private
capital. We publish the following from
a well known vaccine company :
"Two years ago the bureau of animal
industry ( department of agriculture )
. , , undertook the
* T * .
Not An Export 1110111.
manufacture o f
blackleg vaccine and furuislied it free to
the cattle raisers as an'experiment. ' As
a matter of fact , however , no 'experi
ment' was involved , as the scientific
and practical value of preventive vacci
nation for blackleg had been demon
strated twelve years previously and
blackleg vaccine had been an article of
commerce , was manufactured and dealt
in as such and purchased by those who
needed it ever since 1885. Therefore ,
the wholesale manufacture and free
distribution of blackleg vaccine by the
bureau of animal industry , constituted
competition with an established busi
ness. In conducting its blackleg vaccine
business and aggressively competing
with commercial concerns , the depart
ment of agriculture ( bureau of animal
industry ) has made statements and in
sinuations regarding its competitors
which will not bear close scrutiny.
"It would appear as though the bureau
of animal industry was seeking popularity -
, . , . , . . larity amougacer-
-
IJicl for Popularity. . . . . .
tain class of citi
zens by furnishing them with 'some
thing for nothing ; ' is endeavoring to
appropriate to itself the credit for
successful work accomplished by others ,
and is trying to divert attention from its
failures in experimental lines and direct
ing attention to the success of its ( so-
called ) experiment with blackleg vaccine ,
whereas blackleg vaccine had been
extensively and successfully used for
about 12 years before the bureau under
took this remarkable experiment ( ? ) .
Our ( Pasteur ) blackleg vaccine has been
successfully used by American stock
raisers upon over 1,500,000 calves during
the last five years. We can furnish it
in any quantity desired , either of the
'Single' or 'Double' kind in the old
powder form to be mixed , filtered and
injected , or in the more modern form
( devised by us ) in which it is ready for
use as sold.
"Question : Shall any department of
government be permitted to compete
with trade , and manufacture articles of
commerce and furnish them , free ? The
manufacturers and dealers in blackleg
vaccine are opposed to free vaccine , and
protest against unfair competition and
uncalled for interference with their
trade by the department of agriculture
( bureau of animal industry ) . Are the
cattle raisers who call for 'free vaccine'
in favor of 'free beef ? '
Fear publican
THE STATE
CONVENTIONS , state conventions
were held during
the week. Senator Fairbanks was pres
ent at the Indiana state convention and
made a labored defence of the Porto
Ricau bill. Ho offered quite a unique
explanation of the action of congress in
withholding the constitution from the
island and refusing to recognize a "plain
duty. " He said : "The extension of
the constitution of the United States to
Porto Rico , would work in justice , not to
the United States , but to the Porto
Ricans. " In other words our constitu
tion is such a miserable apology of an
instrument of government that it is a
kindness to the people of Porto Rico not
to place them under its jurisdiction.
The people of the United States must
tolerate a form of government which
this ultra-conscientious statesman be
lieves would bo an unbearable burden ,
an insufferable hardship , for the people
of Porto Rico. THE CONSERVATIVE ,
since the inception of the policy of
insular administration , has felt that the
republican majority had little respect or
veneration for the constitution but we
did not believe there would be such a
frank acknowledgment of it on the part
of so distinguished a gentleman.
The platform adopted by the conven
tion endorses the policy of the adminis
tration in general terms but does not
make specific reference to the Porto
Rican act. Resolutions ' 'pointing with
pride" were strangely omitted. The
construction of the Nicaragua canal is
favored. The trust octopus is denounced
in a manner that will make Nebraska
populists green with envy.
The state convention of Ohio was
dominated by Hanna. His directing
genius was su
The Ohio Convention.
preme. The plat
form was written in Washington and
with but slight change adopted by the
convention. The names of the delegates
at large to the national convention were
presented by resolution. They were
Foraker , Nash , Dick and Grosvenor.
An attack was made upon Grosveuor by
Judge Stewart , an intimate friend of
Governor Nash. Charles Foster , ex-
secretary of the treasury during the
Harrison administration , was suggested
in place of Grosveuor. He declined ,
saying with not a little display of sar
casm , "I hope the gentlemen will not
insist upou breaking the slate which has
been sent us from Washington. " The
platform originally contained an en
dorsement of the Porto Ricaii bill. This
was struck out and the platform , only in
a general way endorsed the national
administration. A trust plank was also
inserted.
The Pennsylvania convention was
exclusively a Quay gathering. Heart
felt regret waa expressed because of the
failure of the senate to seat the appointee
of the Keystone state and their cordial
support was pledged for his reelection.
After the Quay eulogiums the conven
tion endorsed Mr. Hanua's administra
tion at Washington in the usual per
functory manner. The Wisconsin
convention adopted the same manner of
resolution , commending the national
administration.
