The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-11-29

two things that he held their par
ents responsible for: IGNORANCE
and FEAR.
Never a mayor before who set
out to fight such battle.
But Mayor Niven is a different
sort of mamie is The Mayor
Who Dared.
When / came into office" he
explained to me in the city hall,
THE police records showed me
things | didn't believe possible.
came into office believing that
truth was better than silence.
AS a magistrate, l made g
study of children. l conducted q
mission in the West End, which
twas largely attended by the poorer
classes.
One day l got circular from
the Ohio board of health, in which
was shown the great decrease il
diseases which were being quaran
tined. Already l had met cases Of
disease that knew were due to so
cial evils, and the victims were
lyoung-of the class that made me
realize what a serious thing this
evil was among young men, boys
and girls.
The same circular showed
too, that though quarantined dis
eases were being stamped out
the increase in secret diseases
was as great as the decrease in
all other infectious diseases. Then
why not quarantine. these diseases
also?
About a year ago application
was made for license to open an
anatomical museum. TO overcome
objections to the exhibit, the
manager pictured the ravages OF
secret classes of disease and the
benefit to be gained by his form
of education.
However, that the education
should be in the hands of those
who had at heart only the well
fare of boys, and not one that
was interested in a financial way,
was evident.
There is no training equal to
that given in refined and Chris
sian home; but often the moral
atmosphere in which child is
reared is thought to be sufficient
TO give character that will keen
the child clean without specific
instructions.
Indeed, this would be the
ideal way il safe. : In the homes
lof the careless or vicious, the
child has no such training, but
gets information from depraved
companions in a way that makes
1t a lure instead of warning.
81 believe that the question OF
sex diseases is a skeleton in the
closet of every reputable physi.
clan i'm the country. The extent
of the plague and the awful con.
sequences resulting therefrom
have so appalled, them and the so.
luton of the great question as to
how to rcpress it apparently, to
them, so impossible, that they
have decided TO practice secrecy
knowing that trouble would cnsue
II the public knesv that no ade.
quate effort to protect it from the
rayages of these diseases was be.
ing made.
There is law In Ohio that re-
quired physicians to report to a
board of health all cases of dis
enEes dangerous to public health
Under this law a doctor here was
arrested short time ago. He
pleaded guilty and was fined for
not making report on case OF
sex infection.
Here is my proposition to the
three physicians on the board OF
health in Bellefontaine: That
they constitute committee to re-
Iceive reports from doctors of Sc
Icret infectious diseases, and that
they recommend such action as
they think necessary in controll-
ling cases that they feel are dan
gerous to public health. This ar
|rangement would keep such in
Formation in tfne handB of the
profession. A person affected
would be- notified personally and
secretly TO maintain a personal
quarantine. When 1t Is found that
this Il violated then 1t IL time FOL
the authorities to step In and en-
force quarantine.
cup to the preeent time ths
physloians Of this city have re,
fused to consider any proposition
whatever"
The newspapers IN BelIefon
taine are with the mayor, hear
q