Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-22
Politics AND PUBLIC REALrH.

and money to the exploitation of their
fayorite doctrines; it becomes the more
surprising that they exhibit go little con-
Germ for those considerations Of public
health which come home SO closely to
every one. Let Us take as an example the
present condition Of the public health in
Sacramento and San Francisco. 1t is well
known that in both these cities there has
been recently marked access of typho-
malarial diseases. The rational presump-
ton is that this increase of sickness is due
to causes which are capable of being con-
trolIed that it is in fact attributable to
bad or insufficient drainage. The sewers
Of San Francisco have been complained of
for long time. Those of Sacramento are
wholly inadequate. Sacramento does not
possess anything like real drainsge sys-
tenn, for even where there are sewers i. by
no mt ans follows that they have house
connections. For between twenty and
thirty years this community has been
accumulating sewage in cesspools. Many
of these cesspools have never been emp
tied. Others have only been emptied
once In two or three years. There are
probably three thousand cesspools within
the corporate limits, and every one of
them is disease.breeder. Everybody is
familiar with these facts, everybody knows
that defective sewerage produces the NOR
bid conditions which are favorable to dis
ease. The diseases which are bred in this
way are of dangerous character. They
are liable to strike down wives, daughters,
sons, brothers, sisters. fathers, mothers.
Not year passes without swelling the
bills of mortality in this way Scores of
families are continually plunged into
mourning through these agencies. Yet
though it would seem impossible to find
any subject of greater and more pressing
Importance than the public health, there is
absolutely no interest shown in it.
The press of San Francisco has for
years been complaining of the sewerage
system, but incompetent or corrupt officials
have been encouraged to neglect it by the
indifference of the public. In this city it
has been known for many years to every
thinking man that we were living in great
and ever-increasing danger because of cur
want OF proper drainage. Yet nothing is
done about it, and though yeGr by year
the natural consequences of defiance of
hygienic laws are more forcibly impressed
upon US, we pass the whole subject by as
though it were immaterial, and fall to
discussing, with the utmost eagerness, TIE
rival claims of two sets Of political impos-
tors who are trying to outlie one another.
AS fact there is not anything of more
Importance to community than health.
But though we are fond of talking boast
fully about the civilization of the nine
teenth century, we neglect the most neces.
sary precautions with an apathy which is
| worthy of savages, and we exhibit lack
of the perception Of proportion which is
anything but complimentary to our intel
ligence. Practically it is of very little con-
sequence to any individual whether the
Democrats or the Republicans control the
Government. It does not signify two pins
to the majority of the people of California
whether Estee or Stoneman is Governor.
Taxation will be about the same. The pro-
lection of the law will be the same. Bust.
ness will not be affected either way. Bat
the subject of public health is one which
affects every man and woman and child,
for the agencies which threaten the public
health are liable to take anyone as a
victim.
The things which tend TO civilization
most, are obviously those which enable us
to live more perfect lives, physically and
morally. For the body we need pure air,
cleanliness, exercise, good and well. pre-
pared food. For tle mind we require en-
lghtened education. But the education
and care of the body is necessary TO the
due development of the mind. The man
vino is tortured with dyspepsia resulting
from bad food and cooking, or who suffers
from malaria, the effect of bad drainage,
cannot develop his mental faculties fully.
Diseased bodies produce diseased minds,
and not only domestic misery but crime in
abundance, is continually produced by the
defiance OF hygienic laws. Is this of no
importance to a community Is there
anything in politics which deserves to be
put in comparison with this, as regards in.
portance? 1t is only necessary to state the
case to demonstrate its supreme conse-
quence. Yet the public plod on as though
these matters, which touch them every
where, which SO deeply affect their lives
all round, were insignificant trivialities,
which practical men would be ashamed
to have any thing to do with. Oar dear
ones sicken and droop, and sometimes die.
Do we even then rouse ourselves and pro.
pose to apply remedies? MOI We mourn
for the dead. but we shut Cur eyes and 60
blipdly on in the old conditions, and merely
wonder, in a dazed way, why there is SO
much sickness about.
The truth is that the community is re-
sponsible for all evils which it could re-
move if it did its duty. When diseases of
the typho-malarial and typhoid types be.
come prevalent in city, the indication is
clear that the people of that city have
neglected their duty. Whatever commu-
nifty allows its own excrementitious mat.
ter to accumulate within its residence area,
is selfconvicted of suicidal folly or apathy.
And that is the case with Sacramento TO-
day, and with San Francisco, and with too
many other cities. In many of these cases,
moreover, parsimony which is criminally
foolish has been the main obstacle to re-
form. Penny.wise and pound.foolish PEG.
pie have protested against any increase of
local taxation, and have in consequence
had TO pay a hundred fold more in doctors
aud undertakers' bills. But so long as the
public eviuce no abiding interest in these
questions they will continue TO be neglected.
II the danger of disease and death will not