The Washington times., 1912-10-09

A bill designed. supposedly, to regu-
late II not eradicate "the great Ameri-
can fraud" was passed at the last ses-
sion Of Congress, and approved by the
President. Forthwith 'Oh Doc" Wiley.
as the newspaper men affectionately
call him. rose In his wrath and pointed
out q Joker" In the law which. he
claimed. would rerve as an avenue OF
escape for the patent medicine frauds
men. No doubt he was right; but the
question naturally rises. Why did not
the doctor discover this Joker before
the bill became law? The doctor is at
the head of a well-equipped msgazis.
bureau In Washington. and presumably
It II up to" him to examine bills re-
lating to food and drugs, and In every
way safeguard the interests Of the con-
sumer. Either We must conclude that,
like Homer. DR.. Wiley occasionally
mods. cr that at the time the bill was
before Congpess the call OF the Chau-
tauqua circuit was clarion.
In his speech at indianapolis attack
ing Taft and also Roosevelt the good
doctor again mods. 1t SO happens that
one Of the Incidents touched upon by
him Is familiar to me, for the reason
that DR.. Wiley sought my help in the
premises. l would not detraot In the
slightest degree from the unselfish.
courageous, battles which DIR. Wiley
fought, often single handed, against the
food dopers and poisoners. But in his
found avocation as a political ora
tor, DR.. Wiley Is notably unfair to the
man who stood back Of him in perhaps
the bitterest fight OF. his official career
at Washington. l refer to Mr.. Roose-
welt, who was President at the time,
and ! speak with authority. because Of
the fact that at DR.. Wiley's urgent So
licitation helped him to carry his fight
over Secretary Wilson's head to the
President.
Entitled To Facts.
II pure food is to be an issue In this
campaign, the public is entitled to all
| of the facts. For many years DR..
Wiley, aided in, splendid manner by the
food and dairy commissioners OF many
Of the States, urged food and drug leg
islation by the Federal Congress. on
two occasions such an act was passed
by the House, but the upper branch OF
Congress-then known as "the Senate
of special nterests'-throttled the bill.
| Indeed, for seventeen years the Senate
would not permit pure food to come to
a vote!
Such was the situation at the ses.
sion OF 1905-1908 On or about this time
several magazine writer's turned theii
attention to the subject of pure food
and drugs. Everybody remembers the
remarkable series In "Colliers" writer
by Samuel Hopkins Adams. tried tc
do my part with an article published
In the Worlds Work" The cumula
tive effect Of this editorial proddinl
brought results. In the early sprint
of 1906 the Senate passed the pure fooc
bill. The fight was won-so the re
formers said.
But at that period Of our politlca
history there was working agree
ment between the Senate and House
AS a sop to public opinion, bill would
be passed by one house, without op
position. only to be pigeonholed In th
other branch of Congress. Undoubtedl.
this was the program OF the Aldrich
Cannon machine. II not, why did tn
bill slumber in the House for abou
four months-until the very last day
. of the session?
Right here. DR.. Wiley mods. H