GOVERNOR, 1903
of my successor, the volume immediately ran up to the old dimensions.
In the State of Missouri a law was passed relating to baking powders. It led to great scandal and was followed by many prosecutions, so that Governor Joseph W. Folk, who urged them, was praised all over the country for his vigilance, became a national character, and almost reached the presidency. A like act of assembly was passed in Pennsylvania and I threw it into the waste basket, saying:
This bill makes it a misdemeanor, subject to a fine of $100, for any person to manufacture or sell baking powder which contains alum in any form or shape, unless there be printed on a label on the outside of the package, in black ink in legible type, not smaller than small pica, the full name and address of the manufacturer and the words, “This Baking Powder contains alum.” It is evident that the passage of this bill was secured by the manufacturer or vendor of some rival baking powder with intent to obtain an unfair advantage. It is evident from the fact that the conspicuous printing of these words would be likely to deter purchasers. It would be entirely proper to require that all baking powders should have upon the outside of the package a label describing the ingredients and their quantities, but it would be manifestly unjust to require one ingredient to be displayed without any reference to quantity.
There was no commotion, no scandal, and the event entirely escaped attention. The incident well illustrates two different methods of meeting the same problem and the temptations that beset men in public life to do the sensational in preference to the useful.
A message which was very widely circulated was one vetoing a bill for the protection of bears and cubs. The message ran:
