The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-10-30
He Says Taft and 7. R. Are
Soldiers Of Fraud.
ENEMIES OF PURE FOOD LAW.
Famous Chemist Believes the Health
of the Nation Demands Election of
the Democratic Tickot-He Appeals
to Those Who, Like Himself, Have
Been Republicans.
BY HARVEY w. WILEY.
(Former Chief Chemist of tho U. s.
Department of Agriculture.)

DoPdTtHeHt " FN9T'Su'eu'o'J
My appeal is chiefly to those who,
ike myself, have been lifelong Repub-
leans. l believe that no kind of an
administration is going to ruin the
gard for each one of the candidates for
president and vice president on all
the tickets. All the political platforms
are mainly sound. and all promise eff
fort In behalf of the whole people. My
choice is not based on platform. 1t
was determined by my impressions Of
the real attitude of the candidates re-
specting the public welfare. We are
creatures of heredity and environ
ment. In our attitude toward great
public questions we are almost alto
gether creatures Of environment.
What two men are by environment
least likely to be swayed by special
interests and most likely to be guided
by devotion to public welfare? Two
Of the candidates have already been
tried In the presidential chair. and we
know by experience what may be ex-
former seat on March 4, 1913 Mr.
Roosevelt by reason of his attitude to-
ward the food and drug act aban-
doned the consumers of the country
to the rapacity Of few mercenary
manufacturers. Under authority OF
congress | had carried on extensive
experiments with my so called poison
squad and found that certain sub
stances-viz. benzolc compounds, sui
phurous compounds and sulphate of
copper 1bluestone,-were injurious to
health.
The law conferred upon me as chief
Of the bureau Of chemistry the duty OF
acting as grand jury and determin-
Ing whether foods and drugs were adul-
terated or misbranded. Instead OF APP
pealing from my decisions to the courts.
as the law requires, the users of these
poisons appealed to President Roose-
Welt. He not only listened to them. but
be abrogated the plain provisions OF
the law, appointed board not con-
templated by the law and directed that
these predatory interests might con-
tinue their attacks on the health OF the
people until this board. unknown to
the law, should decide otherwise.
Can we safely trust the campaign
for public health to Mr. Roosevelt?
cannot believe that to be the proper
course. Mr.. Taft inherited this exceed
ingly bad condition OF affairs from his
predecessor and has not only continued
this illegal board under whose patron
age adulterators are still poisoning the
people, but he did worse. In the mat
ter of the adulteration of distilled bev-
erages in which Roosevelt upheld the
legally constituted authorities Mr.. Taft
reversed that policy and threw the
mighty weight of the executive office
to the support OF the worst lot OF adul-
terators that ever disgraced a country.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Marshall by
their strenuous efforts In behalf Of the
food laws of their respective states
have given a positive promise to end
such a threatening state of affairs
They viii support to the utmost the
officials under the law who are trying
to protect the public health and will
make short shrift OF those who have
brought about these present unbear'