The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-10-10
He Saws Taft and T. R. Are SOL
dierS of Fraud.
ENEMIES OF PURE FOOD LAW
Famous Chemist Believes tho HeaIth
Of the Nation Demands Election
Of the Democratic
Ticket.
BY HARVEY W. WILEY.
(Tormer Chief Chemist Of the U. 8.
Department Of Agriculture.)

like myself, have been lifelong Repub-
Ncans. l believe that no kind Of an
administration is going to ruin the
country. have high personal re-
gard for each one Of the candidates for
president and vice-presideent on all
the tickets. All the political platforms
are mainly sound and ali promise e.
fort in behalf OF the whole people. My
choice 10 not based on a platform.
was determined by my Impressions
the real attitude OF the candidates 70
specting tho public welfare. We are
creatures of heredity and environ.
ment. In our attitude towards great
public questions We are almost alto
gether creatures Of environment.
What two men are By environment
least likely to be swayed by spscta!
interests and most likely to be guided
by devotion to public welfare! Tvs
of tho candidates have alrso1y been
tried In the presidential chair and W
know BY experience what may b a
pectsd II either Of them rssuns his
former seat on NareA~l, 1914 Mr.
Roosevelt BY reason Of his sst1tude to
wards the food and drug ID sban
doned tho consumers Of tho eoua3r3
to the rapacity Of . few neroenar3
manufacturers. Under authority d
congress l had carried on EXTENSIVE
experiments with my socallsd poiso,
squad and found that certain sub
stances, VIZ. bensoic eompos1da. snl
phurous compounds and sulphats d
copper (blue stone}. were Injurious Il
health.
The law conferred upon me, - eAiei
Of tho bureau Of chemistry. tho dut1
Of acting a. . grand fury and astsr
mining whether foods and drugs VEN
adulterated or misbrandsd. Instead
Of appealing from my decisions to tn
courts - the law requires. the usef'
Of these poisons appealed to President
Roosevelt. He not only listened u
them, but he aSroEated tho plain pro
visions Of tho law, appointed . bosrd
not contemplated by the law, and d
rected that these predatory Interests
might continue their attacks on thl
health of tho people until this board
unknown to the law, should decide
otherwise. l
Can We safely trust tho campaign
for public health to Mr.. Roosevelt? J
cannot believe that to be the proper
course. Mr.. Taft Inherited this OF
coed. .4gly bad condition of affair
from his predecessor and has not
.only continued this illegal board I'm.
der whose patronage adulterators ar
still poisoning tho people. but he did
worse. In the matter Of tho adulters
ton of distilled beverages In which
Roosevelt upheld tho legally consti
,tuted authorities, Mr. TAFT reversed
that policy and threw the mighty
weight of the executive ONCE to the
support of the worst lot Of adultera
tors that ever disgraced country.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Marshall By
their strenuous efforts in behalf Of thu
food laws of their respective states
have given q positive promise to enc
such a threatening state Of affairs
They will support to the utmost thu
officials under the law who are trying
to protect tho public health and VII
make short shrift of those who have
brought about these present unbeara
BILE conditions.
| Wilson and Marshall by their educa
ton and environment are free from
bias In favor OF predatory interests
and are inspired by true patriotic yea
in behalf of public welfare.
! support the Democratic nomineei
In full knowledge that many Of the
prominent Democrats in congress- have