Graham guardian., 1912-10-11

facturers of adulterated foods. They
maintained the authorizations did not
hurt the people.
Roosevelt and Taft both were
against the interests Of the pure
food advocates and they virtually
annuled the law. For this reason
DR.. Wiley, who always has been a
Republican, now is opposed to both
of them and he gives his reason.
He says:
What two men are by environment
least likely to be swayed by special
interests and most likely to be
guided by devotion to public well
fare? Two of the candidates have
already been tried in the presider-
tial chair and we know by exper-
ience what may be expected if either
of them resume his former seat on
March 4, 1913. Mr.. Roosevelt, by
reason of his attitude towards the
Food and Drug Act, abandoned the
consumers of the country to the
rapacity of few mercenary manu-
facturers. Under authority of
Congress l had carried on extensive
experiments with my so-called poison
squad and found that certain sub
stances, viz. benzoic compounds.
sulfurous compounds and sulphate
of copper (blue stone), were injuri-
Gus to health.
The law conferred upon me, as
chief of the Bureau of Chemistry,
the duty of acting as grand jury
and determining whether foods and
drugs were adulterated or misbrand-
ed. Instead of appealing from my
decision 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 provisions
of the law, appointed board not
contemplated by the law, and direc~
ted that these predatory interests
might continue their attacks on the
health of the people until this board,
unknown to the law, should decide
otherwise.
We can safely trust the campaign
for public health to Mr.. Roosevelt?
cannot believe that to be the prop
er course. Mr.. Taft inherited this
exceedingly bad condition of affairs
from his predecessor and has not
only continued this illegal board
under whose patronage adulterators
are still poisoning the people, but
he did worse. In the ma tier of the
adulteration of distilled beverages in
which Roosevelt upheld the legally
constituted authorities, Mr.. Taft
revised that policy and threw the
mighty weight Of the executive Of
fee to the support of the worst lot
of adulterators 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 shift of
those who have brought about these
present unbearable conditions.
Wilson and Marshall by their
education and environment are free
from bias in favor of predatory in
terests and are inspired by ture
patriotic zeal in behalf of public
welfare.
| support the Democratic nominee
in the full knowledge that many of
the prominent Democrats in con-
gress have been in full sympathy
with the paralysis of the Food Law
in behalf of the unholy dollar. But
when the Democratic president and
vice-president lend the aid of their
their powerful sympathy in behalf
of the public health those Of their
own party not in sympathy with
them will be robbed of their power
for evil. If Roosevelt or Taft be
chosen the soldiers of fraud and
adulteration will be impregnably
entrenched for another four years