Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-05-03

result except where predisposing con.
ditions exist. that. Is In favorable con-
ditions of soil. In smallpox almost any
unprotected, unvaccinated person ex.
posed to infection runs the greatest
risk Of contracting the disease" Like
lcprosy tuberculosis has been affected
by the improved conditions Of life. the
British death rate having declined from
$500 In the million In 1888 to l.:'Oj
In 1906. but though the soil Is more
resistant the seed Is found every
where, and prevention can be secured
only through It's control. That means
the control Of the expectOratlOn Of In.
fccted persons which contain the III.
bercle bacilli. and though the task
seems u large one the cooperation OF
the patients and the public would make
It easy. The patients themselves might
solve the difficulty by regulating ex-
pectoratiOns, and their ignorance and
carclessncss might be corrected by no
tiicatiOn Of the disease to the health
authorities, which Is made compulsory
In Norway. With n public educated 20
the necessities Of the case und proper
treatment Of patients In SnnatOrin DR..
Hillier thinks that not only the pre-.
vention but the absolute suppression OF
tuberculosis would be possible.
~dA
Recently BooklOver Andrew Carnegi.
had u library day" He signed checks
for amounts running from 5000 to
Sl15.tNO. and planted libraries In 81
towns ana cities. lie Is being criticized.
1t Is natural for u number Of people To
feel that they could spend his dollars
more wisely than he does. They say
there are books everywhere, millions Of
them. Nothing Is cheaper than good
literature. and there Is u feeling that Is
all but general that the very rich should
use part Of their surplus wealth In
putting an end to actual suffering, to
help those who starve and slave, vic.
Tins Of mans inhumanity to his kind.
Yes, u man starved TO death In New
York only few days ago. lie fell dead
on the street, ami his last words were,
"Oh. ! am so hungry" 4 few OF tho
Carnegie dOllars-the price OF q book
would have saved life. but remembeI
this: Since the beginning OF wealth
practical charity has been problem
How to reach those who are really In
need without benefiting those who will
not help themselves has puzzled sOciOl.
ogists for years. Real suffering doesn't
parade Its woes often. Pride Is Its com.
panion. 1t says: IN get along. some
way. I don't want charity or philan.
tlrOpy or penny OF your money" The
best brains In the country have not dis.
covered an antitl0te for this kind OF hu.
man misery. Isn't 1t possible that the
libraries are to help IN way that the
critics do not dream Of now? Books
are education. The more people read
the more they know. The more good
literature there Is In their hands the
more well stocked brains there will
eventually be, and good brains never
We're ana never can be q drug In the
market. Education. whether obtained
from schools or reading, helps men and
women to live. 1t increases their re-
sources. 1t enables them to demand
their rights ana to obtain them. II
raises those who are down and I'M
proves those who are up. When knOwl.
edge Is general ii isn't hard to believe
that there will he less suffering and lit.
tie poverty In this world. SO LET'S be
glad that ut least one very rich man
continued to invest the riches no has
amassed for the undOubted good Of hui
manity. At least II Is better than hoard.
Ing for the selfish love Of money.
~~
The will Of Cecil Rhodes has been a
fruitful theme Of comment in this cOun-
try and almost without exception the
American press has praised 1t as. a
benefactlOn, deplOring ut the same time
the life work of Rhodes In Ills imperial.
istic program. An exchange, the DE.
trolt Journal, Is Of opinion we should
look this gift horse In the mouth. 1t
asks these questions: "What will be
the effect of education at Oxford on the
characters Of more than 100 young men
yearly from the State ana Territories
of this country? In answed to this lies
the whole value or the possible harm
of acceptance OF the Rhodes gift. OF
mere book knowledge We care nothing;
let that be what 1t Is. But what OF the
Michigan or Nebraska or Porto Rico
young man who spends four years at
Oxford at the time of his life when
his character Is being cast In its deep
est matrix? VIII he return simply
broadened as the intelligent American
returns from prolonged travel abroad;
or will he return more English than the
EnglishmanY II Is easily conceivable