Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1912-10-12
By HARVEY W. WHEY.
<Former Caief Chemist Of tho y. s.
Department Of AdricuitursN

AAhc LILY SOIL lave DccE Lifelong }tSDHJ-
leans. believe That no kind OF an
administration is going 70 ruin the
country. l have high personal re-
gard for each one Of the candidates for
president and vice president Oh Al.
the tickets. Al the political PLATFORM;
are mainly sound, ard all promise ct
fort In behalf Of the whole people, ":
choice is not based Oh II platform. 1t
was determined by ny impressions Of
the real attitude Of the can;iidutes re-
speeding the public welfare. We are
creatures Of hcredty and euvirOn-
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 sWnycd by special
interests and most likely to tie 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 OK
pected If either Of them resumes his
former seat on March 4. 1913. Mr
Roosevelt by reason Of his attitude to-
ward the food and drug act ADAM
y
to the rapacity Of q few mercenarv
manufacturers. Under authority Of
congress I had carried on extensive
experiments with my so called poison
squad and found that certain sub
stanceS-viZ. benZoic compounds, sui
phurous compounds and sulphate Of
COPPER bluestone)-were injurious to
health.
The law conferred upon me as chief
of tho bureau Of chemistry the duty Of
acting as Il grand jury and detcrmin-
ing whether foods and drugs were adul-
terGteG or lnisbranded. Instead Of ap-
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
he abrogated the plain provisions OF
the law. appointed a board not con-
templated by Che law and directed that
these predatory interests might con.
tinue their attacks on the health Of the
people until thi; board, unknown 10
tie law, should decide otherwise
Can we safely trust the campaign
for public health to Mr.. Roosevelt:
course Mr.. Taft inherited this exceed
ingly bad condition of affairs from lis
predecessor and hns not only continued
this Illegal board under whose pltrOir
age ndul'crato:H ore still poisoning the
people, bat he sl!d worse. II the mt
ter Of the adultcI.,tlon OF distilled bcv-
Grngc5 IN which Roosevelt upheld the
legally constituted authorities Mr.. Taft
reversed that policy and threw tho
mighty weight Of the executive Office
to the support OF the worst lot Of adul-
terators that ever dieg-aced a country.
MI Wilson and Mr.. Marshall by
their strenuous efforts In behalf Of the
food laws Of their respective states
have given q positive promise TO end
such q threatening state Of affairs.
They WI 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.
able 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 zeal
In behalf Of public welfare.
l support the Democratic nominees IN
full knowledge that many of the prom
inent Democrats In congress have
been in full sympathy with the paral-
ysiS Of the food law in behalf Of the
unholy dollar. But when the Demo
cratic president and vice president
lend the aid Of their powerful sympa-
thy in behalf of the public health
those of their own party not In SYM
patty with them will be robbed Of
their power for evil If Roosevelt or
Taft be chosen the soldiers OF fraud
and adultcration will be impregnably
intrenchcd for another four years and
benzoatcS, sulphates and adultcrated
alcoholic beverages will have a new
lease of life.
I believe also that President Wilson
will renovate the department Of agri-
culture. recEing, as it has been for
the past twelve years, with scandals
and f0vOritism. He will see to it that