The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-08-25

| Washington, August Z3.-Ihe Iatt
administration will not dare to carry
out the plot TO drive DR.. Harvey Wi
ley from the government service.
This was the thought that suggest
ed itself time and again to the minds
Of the men and women who crowded
the Moss investigating committee
rooms and heard Dr. Wiley lay bare
the story of the systematic fight
which has been waged against him
because he insisted the food manufae.
turers keep their products pure
At times, as Dr Wiley told OF the
fierce persecution he had endured, his
voice almost broke and ne could pro.
ceed only with difficulty. At times
also the committee members, utterly
dumbfounded by the doctors state
ments, were at loss as TO what
questions to ask him next
Not only was it shown that DR.
Wiley's efforts to serve the public and
protect it from injurious and poison.
Gus substances in food preparation
had been absolutely blocked by the
conspirators in the administration
headed by Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson and his controlling influence,
Solicitor McCabe, but that the latest
effort to force DR.. Wiley out of Office
was based upon a letter which he
never received and knew nothing
about.
Not boastfully or eagerly, but in re.
sponse to questions by members Of
the committee, Dr. Wiley recited the
universities at which he had studied,
the great scientific societies at home
and abroad which have honored him
in various ways, and the recital went
long way in revealing to the COM
mittee the great public spirit and
sympathy of this man who possessed
a courage in public duty which neith-
er threats from official sources nor op
position by the powers of evil had
been able to break down.
While the whole hearing was sue
cession of revelation that left the
committee and spectators thunder
struck, the most astonishing testi-
mony came when DR.. Wiley told of his
efforts to prevent the use of alum,
and again when he recited the story
of how three cabinet members, Cor
telyou. Straus and Wilson, to please
the $S0000,000 Corn Products com
pany, abrogated the application OF
the pure food law to product of that
concern.
"Alum, used in foods" said DR..
Wiley, especially in baking powder,
is responsible for the large amount
of constipation that is prevalent
throughout the country. | considered
it's use serious danger to public
health, and wanted it stopped, pend
ing an investigation. But the other
two members of the reviewing board
overruled me, as they invariably did,
and the use of alum is still permitted.
Another case involved the use of
sulphur dioxide. Dunlap and McCabe
recommended that we discontinue the
rule requiring the presence of this
drug be indicated on the label. AS
the rule had been adopted after
most exhaustive investigation, | was
convinced that to do away with 1t
would be a grave mistake. Dunlap
and McCabe revoked the rule, how
ever during my absence, and when
returned | wrote letter to Secretary
Wilson, asking for hearing. But
Secretary Wilson did not even reply
to my letter"
Administration Stenogrsphers.
Here is a story of two Taft admin
istration stenographers which shows
how hard it is to work for the gov
ernment these days and remain hon
est
f. NJ. Kerby, stenographer to the
late Secretary of the Interior Bal
linger, exploded the whole Ballinger
defense by bringing to light the Law
Ter memorandum. Kerby wrote this
memorandum, and knew therefore,
that President Tafts letter eXonerat-
ing Ballinger was ante dated and
frame up to clear the secretary. And
because he revealed information
which came to him in his confidential
capacity as stenographer, Ballinger
called him unworthy" and discharged
him.
Now contrast this with the case Of
Miss Carrie NJ. Davis, stenographer
to DR.. l.. f. Kebler of the bureau of
chemistry. In his campaign TO GUST
DR., Wiley, Solicitor McCabe locked
Miss Davis in room and "sweated"
her for three hours because she re-
fused to divulge confidential informa-
tion which McJabe thought he could
use against Wiley.