Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-25
SHOULD BE SETTLED,


The question now before the Leglsla-
ture. and specially before a joint COM
mittee Is not the merits or dement's
Of an alleged remedy FOR a contagious
aisesss MS simply this Are healthy
children and teachers who have not
been exposed to contagion to be eX-
cludod from the public schools unless
they submit TO a surgical operation
That Is the only matter In dispute to be
settled by the Mcmillan bill
Suppose all the virtues claimed for
vaccination be admitted for arguments
sake Apply the same reasoning TO
qulnine for fever. Should an attempt
be made to force qulnine upon every
school child to prevent or cure fever
would there be no objection7 Belladon-
M Is claimed by many physicians as
sovereign In scarlet fever w ould 1t be
right TO compel all school children TO
take belladonna. There Is a serum said
TO be preventive OF diphtherla. Does
anybody propose TO inject this serum
into school children before they may
enter school? Yet there have been
more deaths and great deal more
danger from the diseases named, partic-
ularly among children. than from small
pox real and disputed In this state
Those who have watched the returns
Of alleged smallpox cases must have no.
ticed that the disease does not
specially attack young children
Most OF the afflicted have been and
are above school age Why, then at
tack the children and force the surgical
operation upon them? why not compel
adults to undergo It as protective
measure?
II has been admitted by the OPP
ponents Of the Mcmillan measure that
some children whose bodily condition
rendered It unsafe TO vaccinate them,
have been admitted TO school on doc
tors certificate to that effect. Then
unhealthy children may go TO school
and healthy children may be shut out
that the dlctum OF few doctors may
dominate
The theory Is that the public must be
protected But II that Is the end Ia
view why confne this Indirect compul-
cory vaccination 10 the class Of the
community that Is least attacked, ana
let the older people most
exposed. go free from the
operation and without the protection
which is said 70 be deslred2
TO compare quarantine regulations
with enforced vaccination Is dishonest
and ridiculous A person who has con-
tracted a disease or one exposed to the
contag!on should be isolated for the
protection Of others But this cannot
be said OF enforced vaccination
That Is putting disease
into q persons body under
the claim that It win protect him
from contracting smallpox. II unyac-
clnated he may never have It. Millions
upon millions who are not yaccnated
pass through life unscathed from the
disease. Just as soon as there Is dan
ger from the presence or contact Of an
individual ne should be kept from
mlngllng with his fellows; that is real
protection for the public. Laws may
and should be framed and enforced FOR
that purpose.
But that is not the situation that
confronts the people at present. II is
not diseased children or those who are
liable TO carry disease 10 others by rea.
son Of exposure 10 contaglon who are
shut out Of school 1t is children who
are perfectly healthy whose presence
cannot be dangerous to others that
are excluded They are not dangerous
for two sufficient reasons one is that
they have no disease 70 communicate,
The other r.. that the vaccinated chill
dren are immune--lf the doctors are
TO be belleyed-and thus the vaocinated
cannot catch the disease from the I'M
vaccinated even II they have g.
We might take up the subject in an
other way, but Il does not AFFECT this
momentous question Of the exclusion OF
healthy unexposed children from the
schools. We could prove that recently
yaccinated people are now suffering
from the smallpox that 80 excites the
doctors We could show further that
there are more sick people including
children. from vaccination IN this city
than from smallpox or any other gy-
motto disease. But these are side Is
sues aud the main question is stil open.
Legislators, the people OF this state
In great numbers forming the majority
which should rule, call upon you 20 set
tie the question which the courts have
LEFT in a muddle They want the schools
OF the State opened 10 all children re-
qulred by law 20 attend. They DO not
now take up a fight with the doctors on
the questions whether smallpox Is cpl
demic here OF whether vaccination IS
preventive. They form another ques-
don They desire TO come out from
the rule and tyranny OF a few doctors
the assumption and autocracy OF one
person. and let the voice Of the people
be formulated into law which shall be
so plain that even am imoramus. on the
definition Of the doctors need not err
therein, and which lawyers and courts
cannot construe IN the interest OF few
at the expense OF the many. Pass the
Mcmillan bin and deliver the State from
bondage that now bears Il down and
the people viii call you blessed.