Evening journal., 1897-03-30
pERNIcIous LEGIsLATIoN.

PERNlClOUS LEGlSLAIlON.
The bill to incorporate the Delaware
Ophthalmic College, now pending in the
Senate, the full text of which is given
in another column of this paper, be-
longs to that dangerous class Of special
legislation that it would be well for the
Committee on Corporations to scruti-
nize with more than usual care. The
better it's comprehensive terms are un-
understood the more manifest its dan
gerous character appears. The crea-
tion Of a body corporate is the exercise
of a high prerogative and should be in
dulged in only when the state has the
assurance that its act will not be
abused. This assurance may, among
other methods, be had by the character
of the incorporators who make up this
artificial being which we call corpo-
ration.
In this act but one person is named,
the others are "such other persons as
now are or may at any time hereafter be
associated with him and their success
ors" How are we, therefore, to know
" WAaA tAAtAAA AllN HbWNAh nbhonA " W
obtained in this act may be abused
when we know so little of the person
mel of those who are to organize the
proposed college, grant diplomas, and
create doctors? The experience of the
past, and the disgrace which many of
the fraudulent medical schools of our
neighboring city and Of the Western
states have brought upon the communi-
ties in which they were located, should
be sufficient to condemn any attempt TO
repeat that unenviable history here.
Probably the most dangerous feature
of the whole bill is section 4. which
reads as follows: "And be II further
enacted, that diplomas and degrees
granted by said corporation shall en-
title the possessor thereof to all the inn
munities and privileges therein con-
tanned" The proposed legalization Of
the "immunities and privileges" which
may be contained in diplomas which
an unknown body Of incorporators is
authorized to grant "in such form" as
the (unknown) corporators may des-
ignate" is too uncertain q sea to be
safely entered upon.
BY the passage of this act the medical
law that was enacted two years ago,
and which has given such good results,
would be rendered nugatory. without
any Intended interference with it by the
General Assembly. To a disinterested
observer II looks as If some unknown
individuals have attempted to procure
from the Legislature of this state that
which has been repudiated by the Leg
isiatures of other states, as it is well
known that such proposed legislation
has occupied the attention Of the lead
ing medical journals of this country
and has received strikingly universal
censure from them.
The passage of this act in its present
form might prove the means of opening
up a diploma mill which would grind
out diplomas by the thousand at five
dollars Tor less) apiece, granting to the
posscssOr thereof allthe "immunities ami
privileges therein contained which
would entitle the possessor thereof to
evade the provisions of the present
wholesome medical law IN TINS sta.
and to practice without restraint IN
other states which have no adequat,
law on the subject.
II the bill is to pass, an amendment
at least should be added, providing tha
no diploma should be issued by sai'
college until the applicant therefor ha,
passed a satisfactory examination 10y
the State Board of Medical Examiners
who should so certify on said diploma
and the provision should also be mad
that nothing in this bill should be 81
interpreted as to make nugatory tn
provisions of the existing medical laws
Otherwise the new corporation,
seems to us, would have a "clnch" o
the diploma business.
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