New-York tribune., 1912-08-31
WILEY REBUKES COLONEL
FOR PURE FOOD CLAIMS
Asserts Ex-President Had No
Part in the Passage OF the Law
and Called 1t Trivial.
WILL STUMP FOR WILSON
Plans Speeches in Indiana to
Refute Assertions of His
Former Chief, Who Said
He Was Fantastic

Washington, Aug. S0.-Theodore Roose-
,slt again has been censured for claiming
.rsd,t for a reform In the accomplishment
AZ which he had no part This time his
sccuser is Or. Harvey W. Wiley. the pure
food expert
In a recent speech at Winfield. Kan.
mr. Wiley called attention 10 the fact
that Colonel Roosevelt not only has
nedged his party to the enactment Of
laws which already have been enacted.
,pt has claimed credit for the previous
massage of the pure food law
To-day DR.. Wiley said that, so far as
he knew. Roosevelt had "never lifted q
finger" 10 get the pure food law enacted.
and he charged that the former President.
xhen asked TO recommend such a law I'm
an annual message, had said II was mot
important enough TO mention"
Or. Wiley gives credit to Senator Hey
hurn. Senator McCumber and number OF
other Republican Senator'S for aiding him
IN putting through the pure food law.
while Colonel Roosevelt continues 10
claim that he had something to DO with
the massage Of the law. Or. Wiley points
ont that Il was the colonel himself who
snpointed the Remsen board, which has
bsen so widely condemned for overruling
Wiley and permitting the use OF benzoate
of soda.
The dispute between Wiley and Roose-
velt is likely TO furnish one Of the most
interesting chapters of the present .,am-
paign. One OF the curious things about It
is that some of the newspapers which
have been most jealous in support OF Or.
Wiley, claiming that he has done more
real service for the public than any man
In official life. are now supporting Colonel
Roosevelt Yet Dr. Wiley asserts that IL
was Roosevelt who constantly laughed at
what he called "the pure food faddists."
Members of the present administration
see nothing remarkable in the determina-
ton Of Dr. Wiley to stump the country, IL
necessary. to dispute Roosevelt's preten-
sions as TO the passage Of the pure food
law. They say that he has been claiming
credit that does not belong to him
throughout the campaign; that he never
has shown any gratitude 10 Senator Pen
rose for the work that was done In
Pennsylvania; TO Secretary Knox for the
work that was done in the Northern Sc
curities case: to Senator Root, whose
work as the Roosevelt Secretary Of State
brought such credit 20 that administra-
ton, or TO President Taft. who was his
chief adviser throughout his administra-
ZION.
DR.. Wiley said to-day that so far as
he is concerned. the claims of Roosevelt
will not so unchallenged. Senator Borah
has previously pointed out that Roosevelt
Is promising to establish q bureau Of
hbor, a children's labor law and other
progressive measures which We're put
through at the last session Of Congress.
Dr.. Wiley says he will make a series Of
speeches for Woodrow Wilson, beginning
In his home state, Indiana, and that he
will take as his theme 'the false pre-
tences" OF his former superior, Mr..
Roosevelt
Colncident with the announcement that
Dr. Wiley would take the stump against
Roosevelt, II was learned that Walter 3.
Meyer. OF Winfield, Mass, wrote 10 Colo
rel Roosevelt TO inquire as 10 his posi-
ton on the enforcement Of the pure food
law. Roosevelt wrote back saying that
the pure food law was enacted because
of the very active part took In be-
half of it," The colonel said further
that Dr. Wiley and others who had been
trying TO get the measure passed, could
DO nothing because they were ''fantas-
uCally impractical" and when he took
hold of II he had his Secretary OF the
Interior James r. Garfield, and other
able men 10 help him.
Concerning the letter that Roosevelt
wrote 20 Meyer, DR.. Wiley says:
Theodore Roosevelt's capacity for
Ananiasing beats that Of any man on
earth, as ! shall show. James r. Gar
field was not appointed Secretary Of the
Interior until January. 1907. six months
after the pure food law was enacted"