The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-26
A RIDICULOUS CONTEST.

1t Is always RIDICULOUS TO see con"
flict Of authority between officials
within the same jurisdiction; and when
such conflicts arise the head of the
jurisdiction necessarily and properly
moves with speed and authority in
quelling the quarrel and making rul-.
ing which binds all within the author.
ity, Such, however, has not been the
case in the contest between Secretary
Wilson and Solicitor McCabe on the
one hand, in the U. s. Department of
Agriculture, and Chief Chemist Wiley
in the same department. DR.. Wiley has
been tremendously in earnest in his
efforts faithfully and thoroughly to
enforce the pure food law. Secretary
Wilson, evidently guided by Solicitor
McCabe, has been as Jealous, on the
other hand, to seek loopholes in the
law and methods whereby strict en-
forcement could be abated or avoided.
Instead of this contest being settled
quickly and sharply, it has been al
lowed to drag along, until it is, now a
National scandal. 1t has broken out
in absurd form in the annual conven-
tion Of the Association Of State and
National Pure Food departments, be-
ing held in Duluth; and in that con-
vention the Wiley forces triumphed,
and elected Lucius D. Brown of Nash
vile as president, and as first vice
president, II. E. Barnard of Indianapo~
lis, over the Secretary Wilson faction.
The ridiculousness of all this must be
apparent to every well-ordered mind.
The idea Of contest of this kind rum
ming along for years in the department
and finally breaking out in this form,
and the Bureau Chief triumphing over
the Secretary, is as laughable as a
comic opera, But il is, at the same
time, a humiliation to those who would
see the due propriety and dignity pre-
served in official stations, and the
laws faithfully and honestly enforced
and observed.
We referred recently to the pitiable
exhibition made by Secretary Wilson
in his testimony before the House In
vestigatiDg Committee in opposition to
DR.. Wiley. We find in the Portland
Oregonian the following concise and
sound comment upon one point in Sec
retary Wilson g testimony on that oc.
casion;
No wonder Secretary Wilson has for
gotten all about that $4,000 contract with
Dr. Rusby; A falling memory is one of
the sure signs Of old age. II is an indi-
cation that man has reached the time
Of life when he can adorn a private sta
s,on better than a great public office.
losing his faculties. That happens to all
who live long enough, But he is blamable
for clineinR to his office after age has
incapacltated him for Its duties
It is to he observed, however, that
Secretary Wilson g memory was keen
enough when he saw a chance to score
against DR., Wiley. He remembered
conferences. decisions, and various acts
and movements which Or. Wiley had
not mentioned or perhaps not known.
The memory of Secretary Wilson in
this appears to have been more of the
convenient" order than a natural
infirmity Still, we are inclined TO
believe that the Oregonian is right OH
the general proposition, that Secretary
Wilson has outlived his usefulness,
and that he should retire at the earliest
possible date from public life. He
has got the Department of Agriculture
into such disorganized, belplessly
wrecked condition that its reorganiza-
tion from top to bottom is impera-
tive