BONAPARTE'S DECISION
The decision of the Attorney-General was sent to the White House on April 10, 1907. President Roosevelt wrote a letter to Secretary Wilson in the following terms: The White House, Washington, April 10, 1907. My Dear Mr. Secretary: In accordance with your suggestion,* I have submitted the matter concerning the proper labeling of whisky under the pure-food law to the Department of Justice. I inclose the Attorney-General's opinion. I agree with this opinion and direct that action be taken in accordance with it. Straight whisky will be labeled as such. A mixture of two or more straight whiskies will be labeled 'Blended whisky' or 'whiskies.' A mixture of straight whisky and ethyl alcohol, provided that there is a sufficient amount of straight whisky to make it genuinely a 'mixture,' will be labeled as a compound of, or compounded with, pure grain distillate. Imitation whisky will be labeled as such. Sincerely yours, (Signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT. Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture." *The President sent this problem to Bonaparte at his own suggestion as I have already stated, not by request of Secretary Wilson. The full opinion of Attorney-General Bonaparte is printed as an appendix to Food Inspection Decision 65, issued April 12th, 1907. The Attorney-General's opinion is a blend of legal learning and charming sarcasm. Those who are interested in documents of this kind will do well to read the opinion in full. As an illustration of the keen satire used by Attorney-General Bonaparte I quote the following closing paragraphs of his decision: " The following seem to me appropriate specimen brands or labels for (1) "straight" whisky, (2) a mixture of two or more "straight" whiskies, (3) a mixture of "straight" whisky and ethyl alcohol, and (4) ethyl alcohol flavored and colored so as to taste, smell, and look like whisky: (1) Semper Idem Whisky: A pure, straight whisky mellowed by age. (2) E Pluribus Unum Whisky: A blend of pure, straight whiskies with all the merits of each. (3) Modern Improved Whisky: A compound of pure grain distillates, mellow and free from harmful impurities. (4) Something Better than Whisky: An imitation under the pure food law, free from fusel oil and other impurities. In the third definition it is assumed that both the whisky and the alcohol are distilled from grain."
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