The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-08-27
DIR. WILEY A THORN In THE DE-
PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

DR. WILEY "A 1hOftN lin HE DL-
PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
1t has been charged that DR.. Har-
vey w. Wiley, who has been given
much publicity, is "a crank" and is
guilty of many mistakes, and there
fore he should be dismissed from
office.
1t is self-evident that DR.. Wiley
has incurred the displeasure of
lumber of men who have been I'M
able to control him to their bidding
In sense DR.. Wiley is crank
one of the sort of cranks who have
greater interest in the public well
fare and in promoting good than in
the size of the pile of dollars that
are possible of attainment if there
would be a yielding, a subserviency
to the individuals who would profit
from the sale of impure food and
adulterated products.
As has been revealed by congress
ional investigation, which is yet in
complete, that officials of the De-
partment of Agriculture are, as al
legged, protecting food prisoners and
adulterators.
Standing for the people, DR.. Wiley
has insisted on the enforcement OF
the law. DR.. Wiley has been making
a heroic fight and is being supported
by all the people, whose lives and
whose health are imperiled through
the possible use of the adulterated
stuffs prepared for sale.
There has been an effort at dis
placing Dr. Wiley, who will not re-
sign as requested, but who has de-
termined to keep in the fight to the
end unless removed summarily.
A startling statement is presented
by the editor of the National Food
Magazine. 1t is charged that chill
dren are dying in the United States
at the rate of f25,O00 year from
the effects of poisoned food; and the
same authority declares that $4,000
is conservative estimate of the
whole number of deaths annually in
this country as result of food
adulteration. These startling totals,
of course, are estimates, yet esti-
rnates based on investigation OF
Known cases and departmental re-
ports which are representative of
The whole country.
Besides these figures says the
National Food Magazine, the em-
baImed beef scandal of the Spanish
american war sinks into insignifi-
canoe. According to this authority
more persons are sacrificed annual
~ on the altar of adulteration than
the entire number of soldiers en-
gagged in that war. Counting the
deaths of babies alone, adulteration
claims more human lives annually
than were sacrificed in all the bat
ties of the four years of the civil
war. More than thirty times as
many child lives are offered up an
nually than the total of the Ameri-
can losses of dead, wounded and
captured in the eight years Of the
revolutionary war.
'sBoracic acid, sulphuric acid, ar
senic, benzoate of soda, aeetie acid,
coal tar dyes and formaldehyde are
given as the chief agencies for this
slaughter. The public is dosed with
them in the guise of foodstuffs
ranging from milk to sausages, from
candles to table sauce"
Such an indictment should be suf-
ficient to rouse the people to the ex-
treme of resentment, and the peo-
pie, always conservative and for
bearing, until patience ceases to be
a virtue, will not long remain silent
and inactive should DR.. Wiley be
removed from his position.
DIR. Wiley stands between the
peoples lives and their health and
the favored interests who would
amass millions through the adulter-
alton of foods.