The suburban citizen., 1900-07-28

the guinea browns the voice of con-
science but the same thing may be said
Of every other class of tradesmen. In
deed, even the exalted circle of medi-
cal students to which the esteemed
Health officer Of the District belongs
is far from being able to indulge in the
boast which distinguished Caesars
famous better-half
Or. Woodward as is well known, is
gentleman of limited experience
along practical lines. Prior to assum-
ing the duties of the Health Office in
the District Of Columbia his knowl-
edge of the diseases to which dairy
animals are subject and of the dan
gers to the public due to the use Of
the product from them, did not exceed
that of the youthful owner Of a ypter-
mary sheepskin. and, while no such
charge is made in this article, there
are those who insist that his three
years of service as guardian of the
public pulse has proved him to be
beyond all doubt n consistent and sue
ceSSful nOn-eXpanSiOnist. But, how
ever that may be, the Doctor has not
been idle. Within the brief period Of
| one term as the ruling spirit Of the
Health Department he has boldly es-
saYed to solve every problem of sani-
tary science with which the people of
the District are concerned, and his pro-
gram, according to reliable averment,
has shown so great a variety Of twists
and turns, including numerous light
ming changes in the way of commands
and cOunter-cOmmand to dairywO-
men, that, were it not for the heavy
expense which they entailed upon the
hapless milk producers, would prove
an absolutely safe and sure antldote
for "moonstruck madness, mOplng
melancholy"
The Doctors activity in the prOsecu-
tion Of his official duties is, however,
commendable, and it is not unlikely
that even the dairymen and the cattle
dealers, whose business he is seeking
to ruin, will withhold their proper
measure of approval. But it is quite
as much the duty of DR.. Woodward, In
the Inauguration Of reform movements,
to consider the evils which ill-adYi
efforts are likely to beget as it is to
contemplate the blessings which they
bring to view in the dim and distant
end of the mental perspective. In the
law which he hopes to work through
Congress next December he has sig
nally failed, as we shall show in other
articles, to do that.
To state the case plainly, but cor
rectly there is a strong sentiment
against the reappointment of Dr.
Woodward as Health Officer for the
District of Columbia, and this senti-
ment will he found to have grown dur
ing the next two or three weeks, with
in which time the Suburban Citizen
will make plain many things with
which the people of the city are not
now familiar Meanwhile the ques-
tiOn Of the Doctors retention will have
been settled and he will either have
been installed for a new term Of SER
vice or have given place to a more
competent man. In saying this, how
ever there is no disposition to do Dr.
Woodward the slightest injustice. 1t
is the purpose of the Suburban Citizen
to deal with him in absolute fairness.
1t believes that the Commissioners
made a mistake in appointing him to
the Office, and this opinion is strength
ened by multitude of facts which
mark his administration Of the office
from the hour in which it was turned
over to him to the present time as an
almost matchless failure.