The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-10-11
CONFLICTING LAWS.
Judge Tanning Decides Vaccination Law
Not Compulsory On the Part Of Par
euts and Guardians.
CANNOT ATTEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

DR.. II. X. Bonebrake, the health
officer for Franklin county, has
received orders from DIR. Samuel
Dixon, the State Health Officer,
that the law about having certiti-
Gates of vaccination must be en-
forced IN Franklin county and he
has been instructed to make
tour of the county and attend to
having the law strictly enforced
and in event of violations to cause
the arrest for the misdemeanor
of the responsible parties.
This looks very much like the
State health officers are in earn.
est about the enforcement of the
law requiring teachers to see to
it that their pupils have been vac
cinated. There seems to be very
little dong IN the matter in this
county. Teachers are gong ahead
with their work and waiting for
something to drop. They realize
that they are IN very unpleas'
ant position. They know what
the law Is, and so do the parents;
but to send pupils home who do
not have a certificate of vacclna-
tion would be to offend the par
ents in mahy cases, and to bring
the teacher into unpleasant rela.
tions with his patrons at once.
We heard leading teacher, a
day or two ago, say that he would
rather pay his fine than sendapupil
out of school for not having a GER
tlficate of vaccination. Of course
a teacher could not keep that up
very long on $35 month salary.
Another teacher said: 81 would
be entirely willing to enforce the
law in my school If the other
teachers in my township would
do so; but if ] do 1t and they do
not, the parents In my district
will get down on me, and say, If
other schools can get through
without it, why cannot ours y"
The naked fact is, that the law
exists. Teachers are required
not to admit any pupils who do
not present a certificate from a
physician, showing that vaccina-
ton has been made. Neither
teacher nor parent had anything
to do with the making of the law,
and to ignore 1t is to run the risk
of paying the penalty.
No sane parent should censure
a teacher for observing the pro-
visions of the law; and, especially,
when it is likely to cost him cash
not to do so. Unless the teach
ers are willing to take chances,
they should all act in concert In
the matter, They need not wait
for instruction from the county
superintendent or school direct
ors, neither of whom have any
thing more to do with it than the
supervisor. 1t is up to the teach
er to enforce it or take chances.
The matter is the subject of
general discussion all over the
State, and there is much opposi.
tion to the law; not that vaccina'
tion is regarded as a bad thing,
and yet that is held by some
prominent physicians. People
do not like the idea of being coer'
ced.
The compulsory attendance law
says you must send your child to
school and the vaccination law
says the teacher must send him
home Gf he has not been vacclna.
ted.) Condemned If you do, and
condemned If you don't"
Some light was thrown on these
two statutes, particularly that re-
lating to vaccination, In an opin-
ion by Judge flaming, of Brad
ford county. In a case brought
before him, growing out of the
two conflicting statutes, he has
decided, "that the vaccination law
is not compulsory; that the option
is left with the parent or guard.
ian whether the child shall be
vaccinsted or not, subject TO the
penalty that il the child be not
vaccinated, 1T shall be debarred
from the privileges of the pubic