The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-24
He Says Taft and 7. r. Are SOL
diers of Fraud.
ENEMIES OF PURE FOOD LAW
Famous Chemist Believes the Health
Of the Nation Demands Election
of the Democratic
Ticket.
BY HARVEY w. WILEY.
(Former Chief Chemist Of the U. 8.
Department Of Agriculture.)

My appeal is chiefly to those VINO,
like myself, have been lifelong Repub-
licans. I believe that no kind OF an
administration Is going to ruin the
country. I have q 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 a 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 be 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 ex
pected II 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 (blue stone), were injurious to
health.
The law conferred upon me, as chief
Of the bureau of chemistry. the duty
Of acting as q grand Jury and deter
mining whether foods and drugs were
adulterated or mifbranded. Instead
of appealing from MY decisions to the
courts as the law requires, 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 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-
tion Of distilled beverages In which
Roosevelt upheld the legally consti-
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 disgraced a country.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Marshall by
their strenuous efforts in behalf of the
food laws of their respective states,
have given 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 are free 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 vice-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 impregnably
entrenched for another four years and
benxoates, sulphites and adulterated
alcoholic beveridgos will have a new
lease Of life.
believe also that President Wilson
will renovate the department Of agri.
culture, reeking as 1t has been for
the past twelve years. with scandals
and favoritism. He will see to II tha,
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 "U. 8. Inspected and Passed.
Under President Wilson no more Pin
| chots will be kicked out Of the service
no more unspeakable McCabes will ex
ercise dictatorial powers. There will
be no more cotton leaks and Jungle
| atrocities, no more Everglade swim
dies. Buccaneering. boasting ant
buncombe will give place to sane eff
forts for the promotion Of real agri
culture and the public health.
Under Wilson the department o.
agriculture will be restored to speak