The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-10-02
why DR.. Wiley y.
IS FOR WILSON
He SAYS Taft and T. R Are Sol
diers of Fraud ..
ENEMIES OF PURE FOOD LAW
Famous Chemist Bellevcs the Health
of tho Nation Demands Election
Of the Democratic
Ticket.

Of the Democratic
Ticket.
BY HARVEY w. WILEY,
(Former Chief Chemist Of the U. s.
Department of Agricultural
My appeal is chiefly to those who,
like myself, have been lifelong Repub-
leans. | believe that no kind OF all
administration is going to ruin the
country. have a 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 all promise ef-
fort In behalf of the whole people. MY
choice is not based on n 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 towards great
public questions we are almost alto
gether creatures Of environment.
What two men are by environment
least likely to b. 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 eS
pected IL either of them resume his
former seat on March 4, 1913. Mr..
Roosevelt by reason of his attitude to-
wards the food and drug act aban-
doned the consumers Of the country
to the ~rapacity Of a few mercenary
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 olive stone), were injurious to
health.
The law conferred upon me, as chief
OF the bureau Of chemistry, the duty
of acting as a grand jury and deter
mining whether foods and drugs were
adulterated or misbranded. Instead
OF appealing from my decisions to the
courts as the law reQuirea, the users
OF these poisons appealed to President
Roosevelt. He not only listened to
them, but he abrogated the plain pro-
visions of the law, appointed a board
not contemplated by the law, and d.
rected that these predatory interests
might continue 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? I
cannot believe that to be the proper
course. Mr.. Taft inherited this ex-
ceedingly bad condition Of affairs
from his predecessor and has not
only continued this illegal board un-
der whose patronage adulterators are
still poisoning the people, but he did
worse. In the matter Of the adultera-
ton of distilled beverages In which
Roosevelt upheld the legally coSsti-
tuted authorities, Mr.. Taft reversed
that policy and threw the mighty
weight Of the executive Office to the
support OF the worst lot Of adultera-
tors that ever d~isgraced a country.
MI. 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 will 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 unbeara'
Bile conditions.
Wilson and Marshall by their educa.
ton and environment an nee from
bias in favor Of predatory interests
and are inspired by true patriotic zeal
In behalf Of public welfare.
I support the Democratic nominees
IN full knowledge that many Of the
prominent Democrats IN congress have
been in full sympathy with the paraly-
sis Of the food law In behalf Of the
unholy dollar. But when the Demo
cratic president and vic%e-president
lend the aid of their powerful sympa-
thy in behalf OF the public health
those of their own party not In SYM
| pathy with them will be robbed of
their power for evil. II Roosevelt or
Taft be chosen the soldiers Of fraud
| and adulteration will be im%pregnablE
~entrenched for another four yeara and
benzoates, sulphites and adulterated
alcoholic beveridges viii have a new
lease Of life,
believe also that President Wilson
will %renovate the department Of agri.
culture, reeking, as it has been for
the past twelve years, with scandals
and favoritism. He will see to It that
the bureau OF animal industry will
protect the public health instead OF
the efforts Of the packers to sell dis,
eased meats under the deceptive
phrase ~. s.. Inspected and Passed"
Under President Wilson no more Pin.
! chots will he kicked out Of the service,
no more unspeakable McCabes will eX.
erciSe dicfatorial movers There will