1906: The Pure Food and Drug bill introduced, in part, as a result of revelations made in The Jungle, was opposed by conservative politicians. Republican Senator Nelson W. Aldrich, 64, asked, “Is there anything in the existing condition that makes it the duty of Congress to put the liberty of the United States in jeopardy? … Are we going to take up the question as to what a man shall eat and what a man shall drink, and put him under severe penalties if he is eating or drinking something different from what the chemists of the Agricultural Department think desirable?”
Today: The debate still continues about whether government safety standards are an infringement of manufacturers’ freedom.
1906: The worst earthquake to hit an American city shook San Francisco, registering 8.3 on the Richter scale. The.....
