The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-16
THE DAILY NEWS.
TcoMMUNIcATED.1
CHARLESTON, May u, 1858.


cd, the wrathful displeasure naturally coming
from the offended parties has been to q large
extent vented upon me as the reputed author
Of the paper.
Under these circumstances, In order tnat
my position may be clearly defined, as well as
to relieve individual members of the society
rom the unpleasantness of noticing the per-
sonal illusions made by the Board OF Health,
I request the publication of the subjoined an
swer. for which am alone responsible.
Very respectfully,
IA. KNLooH, NJ. D.,
President of the Medical Society Of s. @.
THE MEDICAL SOCIETY AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
The memorial presented to the City Council,
In January last, signed by twenty-four MEM
bers Of the Medical Society Of South Carolina,
protesting against the cost Of the Health De-
partment, WAS, it will be remembered. referred
10 tho Board of Health for consideration. The
Justice and propriety OF this reference, on the
part Of Council, may be briefly decided by
'Deliberative Assemblies" It is there affirmed
as CONTRARY not only to the laws OF decency
but to the fundamental principle OF the social
compact, that man should sit and act as
Judge in his own case"
: The reply to the memorial appears at last in
the proceedings Of Council Of the 24th OF
March. This Is signed by the Mayor, the City
Registrar, and six Aldermen, constituting what
is called the Board Of Health. This. society
cannot consent to compromise itself by aga ain
addressing the Council, 80, in order to correct
the misstatements for, the Board OF Health,
places the matter directly before the public.
Our memorial showed, BY. contracted state
:ments and figures from the journals Of Council,
that the expenditures for the health Depart
ment during the last fiscal year, exceeded by|
at least sl2,000 exclusive Of $40, 900, Govern
nnent appropriation, that Of the years 1858,
1859, 1860 and 1861. 1t also protested against
proposed outlay, for converting the old work
house building into city hospital. and fur
Their suggested that certain complicated health
ical to the city. The reply Of the Board OF
Health is, we think, Q misrepresentation OF our
position, an evasion Of the question at issue,
and descent to gross personalities and trivial
side issues. we proceed to make good this our
estimate Of its value. . -,
Attention is first called to our poverty, and,
as the Health Board seem also to imply, our
littlepsss, by an exhibit OF the small amount
Of tabs we pay when compared with the body
of aldermen. The fat aldermen are placed in
one STALE and the poor doctors in the other.
OF course we strike the beam. 10 the ques-
tionofs weight is affixed this argument; the
criticism Of the expenditures Of Council by q
tax paid by the aldermen, is audacious and
misplaced. Those who have most at stake
mnst be most interested In the welfare Of the
city, and, II extraYagant, they at least have the
right to be 30. Is this argument legitimate or
tenable Has not the humblest citizen, who
his voice In what concerns the public welfareP
Taxation ,assuredly bears no less lightly upon
the man with small means than upon the mil
iionaire. II extravagant expenditure be no
thing TO rich alderman, it may seriously con-
Germ poor DOCTOR . -'5..
: Is public economy usually the fruit OF self
interest Admit the interestedness Of the al
deymen, and is this necessarily Q safeguard to
their legislation, or an insurance against their
fonyf The owner Of the frail bark that ira
verses the ocean and the master who directs her
movements are assuredly the parties most inter-
ested in her safety; and yet statistics show be-
yond dispnte that most of the recorded acci-
dents to- vessels are traceable to one or the
other Of these much interested parties.
s .But cannot aldermen, in virtue, Of their
position, better endure the burden OF taxation
They proverbially grow fat. Is it from the
share Of the loaves and fishes Who are more
Interested when bills before Council ara passed
Tor payment? Why is at that members Of
Council areso often elected to I'LL vacancies In
penditures Of our public institutions, as the
Orphan House and Aims House, and the req
son seems obyious. Who furnishes bread,
Eand groceries, and dry goods and crockery
See the bills Tor stationery furnished to city
offices; those tor lumber, lime, cement and
other materials used uponpublic works. u
our memory serves us right, there is an old
city ordinance .forbidding contracts between !
the city and "a member Of Council In this !
sdsylof resurrection Of ordinances long en-
ltombed, we ask onr new Mayor II this one is
enforced2 This may be q small matter for |
2iaye doctors. 70 advance, but the Health |
Board 10 responsible esfor shaSing placed us m |
an insignificant position because OF our paying
n gmall tnx.: lesl lSsSSss n -
We Woala willingly become large taxpayers,
but slas Ito resoh. this goal Of our hopes We
mnst be plsced m similar relations with our |
patients, including members Of Council, and Of |
the Board OF Health who may rank as such |,
rs those eatshlished betWeen- the Aldermen |
and the city; we must be well pstronized and |
promptly paid. SIT
THE mipugnment OF our motives BY the sugges-
lion OF Q feeling ofdisapp0 p0intmenE on our part,
In not having been able to carry out the wishes |
ofthe trustees Of the Roper hospital, We might |
pass BY, because not affecting the valuc Of our |
fncts or deductions. II liz not our province to I
fight the battles Of the Roper Hospital, yet We
deem it not amiss, in this connection, to remind
epUokQ x1odltu. tuAt tuo Ouly CuuplhLklt
ever urged by Council against the hospital was
its being managed by 8 close corporation"
On this account alone, tie, most sacred and
binding obligation Of contract has been violated
by Council. Why is the complaint not stated
in language at once more truthful and more
easily understood? Why is IL not openly an
nounced that no Alderman sits with the Hospi-
tai Board; that the hospital extends no patron
age IN certain directions, but simply unfolds q
spotless banner upon which is inscribed re-
fnge for the sick, sswithout regard to complex
ion, religion or nation
The Health Board indirectly charges man.
Of the si0ners cf our memorial Tiittn inconsis-
fancy bscaase Of the dieep1esss that "so1ae
were unsuccessful candidates tor poslaon
under the Health Department, and ono Q
atronp advocate and at one time holder OF
office under this department" Here, as IN
other parts Of the reply Of the Board OF Health,
much ingenuity has been displayed 70 impose
moon the public the belief that the Health -
partment and the City Dinensary are synonS.
mons terms. Our memorial condemned the
artraysesnce Of the. former, but uttered no
word Of reproach against the latter. Some al.
fusion we did makeito an expensive combina-
tion. under the new regime, In which the DIS.
nansary was included. Bet the single item OF
e1travaganca noticed here was the large ed-
ditional compensation Of the Registrar or Su-
pervisor Of Hospitals; and this ne shall return
to in proper season. :, 80
We never questioned the necessity OF the
Digpensary, nor doubted Its usefulness. We
were too well aware that the extrevagant ex-
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