Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1912-05-18
.TAFT'S RECORD
OIL RECALL OF
COURT DECISIONS
Favored the Principle to Obhge
POISON Makers"
NOTORIOUS WHISKY RULING,

Legali1ing Every Demand Of tho
Makers of Imitation Whisky - He
RECALLED" Seven Federal Court Do
oisions to Accommodate tho Oppo-
nents Of Roosevelt and Dr.. Wiley.
Now that Mr.. Taft is SO violent in
his opposition to any proposal to per-
nit the people of q state to assert
their understanding Of the meaning
of the constitution made by them
when that meaning has been per
verified by a judicial ruling, it is we'll
to examine his past record in this
particular. Recorded facts prove that
President Taft Is not opposed to the
''recall Of decisions of the federal
courts when the recall is made by
"a representative part OF the people"
even though that part consists Of one
Of OO,OOO,GOO Americans.
Here is an EXPOSE" especially In
teresting at this time. It appears In
the editorial columns Of the Phlludel-
phia North American:
Long before Theodore Roosevelt
upheld the hands of Harvey Wiley
and forced the passage Of the pure
food law there had been notorious
frauds In the making. marking and
branding Of distilled liquors. But the
question seemed pretty we'll settled
by the UNFOLDING Of the explicit pro-
visions Of the national pure food law
In the rulings Of DR.. Wiley, sustain
ed by repeated messages Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, opinions Of Attorney
General Bonaparte and decisions OF
different federal courts
Merely Common Sense.
1.-The question was simply one OF
common sense. There was to be no
prevention OF or penalty for the sale
of any sort Of liquor. The rulings
meant only that the purchaser was
entitled to the privilege Of learning
from the label whether he was buying
what he was paying for
"Undoctored whisky was to be label
ed whisky a mixture Of two real
whiskics was to be labeled blend 4
mixture Of q whisky with something
that is not whisky was to be labeled
compound A connection that
smelled and tasted like whisky. but
contained no whisky, was to be Ia
beled Imitation.
That was all there was to the pro-
Visions Of the pure food law governing
interstate commerce in whisky. 1t
was such simple, incontrOvertiblc
regulation for square dealing that
every American who thought he knew
along what lines the administration or
William II. Taft would be conducted
SCORED Mt the idea that the question
was not closed chapter.
when the reGtifIers OF Cincinnati
and Peoria limited at the influence they
could bring to bear upon Cincinnati
newspaper and Speaker Cannon and
prophesied the discredihng and the
downfall Of Wiley we thought them
oVerconf1dent in proclaiming that they
could reopen contest which had been
won and won over and over by The
people, by the state food commissions
ers and friends of pure food before
president Roosevelt and the federal
courts.
80 there was wonder when there
followed President Tafts executive
order reopening the whisky branding
question settled by Attorney General
Bonaparte's successive opinions and
president RooseTelt's orders giving ex.
ecutive effect thereto.
Taft's Conscience Reconciled.
AT the time Of the ruling in favor Of
the sw1ndlers 10y Solicitor General
Bowers, In June, 1909. the North Amer
lean said:
The real meaning Of this reopcned con-
1roVersy. OF course, Is that the conspiracy
20 weaken, break down and nulify the
pure food laws Is widespread powerful
and persistent. With President
Taft rests the responsibility Of spreading
cTedence or giving tho lie to the general
poastlng Of the druggers Of food and
drink that the entire toll Of Roosevelt and
Wney to safeguard tho health Of the peo-
pie Is to be obliterated before 1912 for the
benefit Of certain strong but not altrustic
interests.
Six months consideration resulted
In President Taft's reconciling his con
science to the PRONUNCIATION Of q presi.
Dental decision Iegalzing every de.
mand of the cheating poison makers Of