The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-19

------------- - -- industrial cards have been snuffled with Machiavelian cunning. Secret rebates have fiourished unrestrained for a series of years. The highest handed jugglery has been practiced with the funds which had been put up to keep the wolf from the door of the widow and orphans The most unsavory beef was dished out to the zealous sons of America who, fired with patriotism, offered their lives in defense of doWn-ttodden people
 Some of our most gifted legislators have suffered themselves sedueed by the siren song of gold, and have walked in forbidden paths.
 From this I do not mean to deduce that the whole scheme of things Is going to perdtlon. Greed Is elementary. and has been with us since Jacob enticed Esau to part with his brth-right for a mess of pottage down to the reorganiza- tion of the Equitable. Yet I believe each concluding cycle finds the world little better. And I believe that through the effort of many minds and times we shall finally put stripes on graft and good citi- zenship win universally be more attrac- tive and profitable than piling up ill-got- ten gains.
 But q constant consideration of these economic inharmonies has caused me to conceive the title of these remarks; The Beneheence of Science. es,N
 Tt is not a far call back to the day whom the so-called practical men of this life discounted and ridiculed any scheme orr pFsSpoisition or idea bearfng the car marks of science. It was their opinion that the principles and assertions of science were speculative rubbish that theory and practice were essentially an tagonstic; and that the scientific habit of mind was a handicap in the game of life.
 Concerning Predisposition.
 ''1'he alcoholic, the criminal. the de- fectiye of numerous types. can be pre- determined and safeguarded from birth in many instances. Then we should ever bear in mind the possibility of predispo- sitlon through atayisiii. and shape our conduct in consonance with all the an- plieable range of this idea. By this I mean that when the environment and the immediate ascertalnable ancestry arc good we should moi forget the possibility of atavistic dynamics of such overwhelm- ing potentallty as to be beyond all con- trol when once touched off. Granted, for Illustration that You have no appetite for whisky, and that none of your people, so far as you know, have tasted d drop. l is yet true that no one can guarantee that the hot whisky lemonade which you may take for your cold on going to bed tonight may not transform you into Il raving dipsomaniac and make 1t impossi- ble for you ever to be Intentionally sober again.
 'There are parents who. because of ignorance. poverty or crime. are totally and incontrovertibly unqualified for rais- ing their children, and these children, cursed by environment are crying at the door of science, Or humanity if you will, for an opportunity to become good citi-
  be largely corrected by environment, and this environment in turn helps to recon struct succeeding heredty. In this way, in time, many types may be largely ellmi- mated.
 And now, in conclusion to these frag mentary remarks, may l add some slight tribute to tho honest doctor of medicine? :? I am persuaded that there is no royal road to any kind of desirable achievement l think 1t is true that you may have what you want. but you must pay the price which Is in exact ratio to the at tainment.
 But I am impressed with the idea that the same amount of time, self-saciifce. money and talent which the average physician puts into his education and equipment would seldom fail to command prominence and distinction in the other pursuits of life The obvious compensa- tions in medicine would never be suff- cient to attract or compel the talent which is to be found in it's ranks. The warped commerclalist, whose soul is att tuned to the vulgar clink of filthy pelf, will never be able to understand or ap- preciate 1t.
 But there are compensations in the faithful practice of medicine which cause the glitter of mere silver and gold pale into insgnlncance. You who have strug- gled with the Grim Monster throughout the still watches of the night with facul- ties keyed to the highest octave of con centration, and your whole organism athrill to the matehless glory of the re- sponsibiilty so reverently committed to your charge, and who have seen the mask of the Shadow of Death give place to the flash Of consciousness as the glory of dawn floods the east, understand what 1 mean.
 The Reception.
 After the night session reception and dance al the Hotel Hillman was tendered inc state association by the Jefferson County Medical association. It was