Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-29
THE SANITARY CAMPAIGN.

VIC VI ecu OA lAC puO44S du1uOI1llcS duO
private citizens alike, the duty of
cleansing the city. 1t is well enough
to bear in mind that Nashville can
hardly be purified as it should be, with
out the active cooperation of every
householder. The most perfect public
system could not reach the hidden filth
that may tester in the most unexpected
places. There are backyards, kitchens,
cellars and even habited rooms that
call for renovation. To reach these a
public system would have to be both
inquisitorial and despotic. Besides,
any work done at the public expense is
too liable to cost three times its worth.
But every head of a family and every
individual, poor as well as well as rich,
is directly interested in the cleanliness
of his surroundings. To the poor, es-
pecially, health is wealth. 1t is the on
ly capital they have, to draw on for the
support of self or family. Private eff
fort can accomplish an important
part of the work more thoroughly and
at the same time more cheaply
than any bureaucratic system. If any
large portion of our citizens neglect
their part, then must come the sanitary
inquisition, the civic despotism and the
inevitable increase of municipal ex-
penses. The democratic principle OF
self-management is cheapest and most
effective in matters of physical health
as well as political.
With no intention to create an alarm
which would be unnecessary, We re-
mind our readers that we are now with
in a week of the anniversary of that
dread 4th of June, 1873, when the
cholera made its presence in Nashville
unmistakeable. In truth, there is
reason to believe that some deaths had
already occurred at this date
in the lower parts of the
city. We say alarm would be
unnecessary now, because we are this
year without the preliminary warnings
of the scourge in Europe, in the West
Indies, in New Orleans, and in Men,
phis, which preceded its advent here
last season. Therefore, we have time
vet to set our houses in order. DR..
Avent, President of the Memphis
Board, in urging the demolition of the
Happy Hollow huts, stated before the
City Council that there exists no pres
emit danger, and during residence of
eight years he had never seen a better
state of health IN that city. He
stated further that it is the In
tention of his Board to complete
their precautionary work by the
10th of June, and turn over no fresh
ground after that date. We may per-
haps extend the time a few days with
safety. The lingering overflow of the
lower Mississippi, the receding Of
which will lay bare to Southern suns
the drifted refuse of the largest and
most populous valley in the world,
warns us to work at once.
A city ordinance has gone into ope-
ration providing Nashville with Board
of Health, whose names will doubtless
be announced in this issue. We are
writing some hours before their selec-
ton by the City Council, and have not
the least inkling of who may be chosen,
or who aspire to the proftless
position of usefulness. The medical
fraternity do much for the relief of hu-
mainly without compensation, and we
hope our ablest physicians who have
the time to spare, will offer themselves
for the work. We question the com.
mon sense or even economy OF expect
ing important services from men with
out providing salaries; but the time II
so short we will not quarrel with the
ordinance, satisfied that any system
will work tolerably well, if administered
with an eye single to the public veal
Private effort should leave the public
scavengers nothingto do beyond cleans
ing the streets and alleys. Even t.
do this work, before the sun reaches
the solstice, large army o.
scavengers will be needed. In then
selection and management no poltica
interests should be allowed to interfere
by the Board of Health. In Other
cities work, or the pretense of work, Il
often bargained for votes, ward poltl
clans are given sinecures for their IN
luence, and the public funds diverted
in various ways to the promotion OF IN
dividuals. 1t is needless to dlsguls'
the fact that the present mayor-wht
is made ex-oficio a member OF tn;
Boards a candidate for reelection
Nor would it be Just for us to withhold
the fact that IN various ways comelna
tons are being made up to affect thu
county elections in August, in order t.
make friends in the city election II
September. Ofice-seekers may OBJ
iurgate in vain. The public
discussion of their maneuvers is
penalty attached to Ofice-seeking. The
people have right to know that pipe
layingis going on, and right TO watct
} the layers. We owe candidates nothing
we owe the people all the prosperity w
possess as a public journal, and w
would be derelict in duty if wefailed t.
give our readers such information a
they expect at onr hands about public
matters.
Let the city be made pure, and lie
the process of doing 50 be also pure
Politics and private scheming canno
enter the work without impairing it
efficiency and increasing its cost i'm
mensely. Nashville has enough bur