Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-15
DR.. Wiley Sustained.

The President sustains DR.. Wiley.
That announcement. which comes from
Beverly today, is good news to the
country 1t means that the admins
tration will not countenance the efforts
that have been made to secure the
separation from the public service of
man that has done invaluable work
for the benefit of the people. and whose
dismissal on IA technicality could he
construed by the country at large only
as a victory for the interests which he
has been fighting for years by means
OF the pure food and drugs act.
The President says that he had
reached his decision in the case
weeks ago. but that he withheld his
announcement in the hope that the
House committee which recently con-
Quoted an investigation on much
broader ground than his own inquiry
would submit its report. He indicates
Enthusiastically his intention to carry
the matter further next winter and
take more radical action with regard
TO the administration of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Thus the President recognizes the
fact that the so-called Wiley case was
peared. that it involved the efficiency
of the governments enforcement of
the pure foods act. that it included the
prestige of the department with the
country. The evidence taken by the
House committee brought to light a
condition of which the public had been
unaware, and which. it must be as
sumed. was unknown to the President
n
delay in the submission of the House
committees report should involve the
postponement of the radical action
which the President promises. and
which, it is to be believed, will serve
to re-establisn in the Department of
Agriculture an authority making for
the honest and thorough enforcement
of the law. Why could not the Presi-
dent. act upon the information he has,
or can himself easily obtain?
The Presidents often cited judicial abil-
ity appears plainly in this case. He
sweeps away the small technicalities
which the board of personnel of the de-
partment. and, indeed. the Attorney Cen
eral himself, urged as reasons for the
'-condign punishment of officials whose
only fault had been an honest endeavor
TO secure for the government the best
available expert services at legitimate
rate Of compensation. The President is
disposed 10 let his chief legal officer down
easy by declaring that he did not have
the full record of the case before him
when he rendered his opinion for the
executive guidance. This point does not
wholly satisfy the public feeling that the
Attorney General should have had the
fullest information. How often in the
past, it may be asked, have opinions
been rendered by the Department of Jus
tice on Incomplete information?
The public will await with great inter
est the developments in this case 1t
fully expected the eXoneration of Dr.
Wiley by the President, for il could not
conceive that so valuable d public serv-
ant would be dismissed on so absurdly
trivial complaint 1t also at present
expects the President to rehabiltate the
Department of Agriculture, to clean out
the real conspirators who have been
checking DIR. Wiley in his enforcement
OF the pure food act and TO replace them
with men who command confidence, re-
gardless of the rank they now hold. This
is just the beginning of q reform which
it is TO be hoped will be thorough and
fearless.