Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-08

| uldttcI CdlLuly iIlu WitllOul petoslou, OiiS
conclusion is reached that the members
of the Council cannot fully realize the
great danger threatening the people
OF this city. That the city has power to
pass such ordinances as may be deemed
necessary to preserve the health
of the city or to prevent the spread
of a contagious disease is certain
They have ample power to make the
most stringent regulations, and it is time
they were making them. Why the Corm-
Gil should be SO apathetic and dilatory is
incomprehensible, for the question of an
effectual quarantine is not question of
politics at ALL Death and disease invade
the homes Of all alike, be they Mormon
or be they GENTLE A man, or body of
men, who has the power to prevent death
to his fellow men and does not use that
power to prevent such death, is to the ex-
tent of his non-interference an accessory.
The City Council have absolute power to
quarantine all diphtheria SO as to
prevent its spread, and if they
fail to use that power to
check the spread of diphtheria and
death, they are, SO to speak, murderers
OF their kind. How are they guilty? In
this way. They are paid out OF the public
treasury to regulate and control the COM
mon affairs OF the public composing the
city's population, and they are given
such powers by the city charter as may
be necessary to accomplish the object for
which they are paid. Their first and
most important duty is to protect the
lives and property of the citizens, and
in no way is the health and
life of the citizen so liable to
attack as through bad sani-
tary condition of the town. That
such a condition exists here all too
well know. The city is honeycombed
with cesspools, and there is absolutely no
requirements as to the cleaning out of the
closets ndsuch like places. Throughout
the town are sinking pig-styes which are
fully as unhealthy as the cesspools and
closets. The streets are never cleaned,
and carrion is often allowed to remain
upon them for weeks Is all this suf-
ficient cause for i'll health and the breed
ing of disease? If no measures are
taken to improve the sanitary condition
OF the town, in a few wears the
people may expect typhoid fever to
be common and ever present.
Now, why are the City Council to blame
for all this? Because they alone have
the power and authority to remedy this
state of things. These things are among
the general causes of diphtheria, but now
for some OF the particular causes. In the
mouth OF City Creek canyon there is
family stricken with diphtheria, and
one young lady is so low with it that it
is not expected she will recover. The
name of the family is Musser. Yesterday
afternoon young boy belonging to the
family and a resident at the house
where the diphtheria now is, was
upon Main street and was con-
stantly mingling and coming in con-
tact with people who were attending
to their affairs. We did not see him our
selves, but were told by gentleman who
works in the Utah Central Railway
office, where the young boy referred to
came to see a friend. Who is responsible
for the presence of this boy on the streets
when he had just come from a house
where diphtheria is raging? The City
Council, because the City Council do not
enact and enforce proper quarantine
ordinance. No inmate of a house where
any contagious disease is raging should
be allowed to go upon the streets
and mlngle with people until the inmates
of such houses shall all be perfectly cured |
rom diphthera and the house and eyery |
person and thing about it shall be thoro- !
lghly disinfected. To merely hang out a
yellow flag to warn people not to go to a
certain house is no protection against the
spread OF disease if the inmates of that
house are allowed to go when and where
hey please. Some may say that to COM
pei people to remain at certain place for
week or SO, or perhaps month, is a
'reat hardship and wrong. Is it not
hardship and wrong to allow
hese same people to spread disease and
ieath among those who are unaware of
he danger there is in the presence of
uch persons? The City Council ought
o act In this matter Immediately and not
yalt from one week to another for a COM
nlttee to report. Decency, humanity and
he citizens demand that stringent meas
res be taken to stop the spread of diph-
heria.
"A RADICAL CURE FOR POLYG-