St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-11
THE LAWS NEED REVISION.
Some Practical Suggestions for the
Solons of Dakota When They
Meet at Bismarck.
4 Bill to Protect the Public Health and
Prevent the Spread Of Con-
tagious Diseases.
John e. King as a Booming Rustler--
The Indians Opposed to Opening
the Reservation.

Special Correspondence of the Globe.
CHAMBERLAIN, Feb. Sit may be
little early to begin to consider the
work that the next territorial legisla-
ture should look after, but as ''eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty" the
fault can be overlooked. 1t is notorl-
Gus fact, not only in Dakota, but in
almost every state and territory, that
Wholesome laws that ought to be Ell
acted to preserve the public health and
prevent the spread of contagious and
infectious diseases are either neglected
or poorly executed. During the session
OF 'S5 the legislature enacted law reg
ulating the practice of medicine. Great
ing territorial board of health, and
also county boards. The county
boards consist of president,
vice president and superintendent. The
county attorney is eX-officio president,
but the suDerintendent must be Ii
cenSed physician. The superintendent
receives IS per diem for each DAYS
actual service, cents per mile for
each mile necessarily travelled, besides
other necessary and actual expenses.
His duties are to quarantine all cases of
contagious and infectious diseases Oc-
curing among persons or animals, and
to use all due diligence to prevent their
spread. This is certainly good
and wholesome law, and calculated to
work great good in the preservation of
the health, both of persons and ami
mails. The last legislative body, for
some reason best known to them
selves, were dissatisfied with this
wv ~ ri a nof 80,
passed the lower house. Itwas thought
at the time that it passed the council,
and when the session laws were pub
lished they so stated. For several
months the county boards refused to
act, for the reason that the repeating
clauses dispersed them. By accident,
or otherwise, the discovery was made
that the council failed to concur with
the lower house, thereby leaving the
act as it was originally passed in 1885.
The county boards resumed their labors
again and will continue to dis
charge their duties until the
legislature meets next winter. Now,
1t is very necessary that there
should be full understanding of this
important matter before the next ses-
sion meets, and that the representatives
and councilmen fully understand the
merits of it. As it came so near being
repealed year ago the probabilities are
If nothing is said or done in favor
of it that it will be swept from the
statutes of the territory. The preserva-
ton of the public health is of the ut
most Importance, and as this territory
is rapidly and daily increasing in popu-
lation both in towns and country, the
diseases which are found in thickly
populated districts will present them
selves here. During the present winter
DIPHTHERIA AND SCARLET FEVER,
these scourges of childhood have
made their appearance in many local-
ties in this territory, and it is safe to
say that the strict quarantine that has
been made against them has prevented
their spread and saved the lives of
many children. The repeal of the pres
ent law would leave the whole matter
in the hands of the territorial Superin-
tendent, and it makes no difference how
able or efficient he may be, he would
not, and could not, attend to the duties
over so vast territory as this. Even
should he order the local physicians to
enforce the law, they would not enforce
it with that vigOr that should always
characterize the enforcement of
too much of him. and attributing to
him the power of ubiquity which no
man possesses. Every county has its
local attorney, who looks after the legal
welfare of the inhabitants. and no one
would think for moment of doing
away with that important Office. Yet
there is an attorney general for the
whole territory, whose province is to
look after the legal interests of all. Let
it be understood that the health of this
territory is as important as its legal in
terests, and see that every district is
thoroughly aroused to that fact before
the next election. If it is thought nee
! eSSary to change the present law, let
something like the following take it's
| place:
| Let the superintendent be ap-
| pointed for each county by the board
| of county commissioners, who are person.
| ally acquainted with their professional
| qualifications, and let them be paid a
| salary of from $500 to 800 per annum.
| payable quarterly. They should also
| act as the county physicians. and the
| above salary should compensate for
| both. The above amount expended
! yearly is not large for the purpose men
| toned, while it inSureS the safest plan
| of holding in check the frightful
scourges which sometimes sweep over
| our land, devastating homes and leav-
| ing tears and despair in their wake. 1t
| ought not to be said by members of the
| last legislature that the method is too
| expensive, and that the people would
| complain. The repeal of the penalty
for uSury, and the latitude money lend
| erS now have, is far more damaging to
| the inhabitants of this territory than
the money used in the support of county
boards of health. 1t is to be hoped that
| the medical fraternity of Dakota will
/ IvCn hi, in, nd oc1- 4l,Nf &Ia,
laws pertaining to health shall not be
repealed. 81
| KING, THE BOOMER.
Hon. John II. King, who is now in
Washington looking after the interest
of the Sioux reservation bill, was once
an inhabitant of this city. Indeed, he is
the godfather of Chamberlain, and un-
der the booming influence of the Dakota
Register she reached the zenith of her
prosperity. He is magician of unpar-
alleled success, and by the wave of his
magical wand county seats were re-
moved, railroads surveyed, water works
erected, and prosperity smiled on all.
The people of this city and county re-
member him with kind feelings, and if
John should loom up in the future for
political preferment Brule county
would be dangerous ground for his an.
tagOnist. He has ability, push and de-
termination, and no man in Washing
ton understands the Indian question any
better than Hon. John III. King. The
Jones bill shows the handiwOrk of Mr.
King, and if it were not for Senator
Dawes, the bill would pass both houses,
and the Indian question, so far as it re
lateS to Dakota, forever be settled. Mr.
King Is not out of the way when he
wishes to do away with the clause re
lating to obtaining the Indian sigma