The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-27
THAT ORDER.

The local board of health's order
promulgated a few days ago over the
signatures of the acting mayor and the
city marshal notifying parents to keep
their children on their own premises
lis the subject of general comment
and ridicule. Without doubt the board |
was actuated by the best OF motives
in issuing the order, but it is equally
certain that It exceeded its authority
land entered upon course calculated
to bring it's mandates into disrespect.
1t can do almost anything in the inter
est of the public health. But almost
anything is not everything.
1t anyone is sick with contagious
disease. such as smallpox, measles
scarlet fever and the like the board
has power to quarantine the sick in
dividual and the members of the fam
ilv of which he is a part But it can
not go outside these and quarantine
perfectly healthy persons not known
} to have been exposed to contagious
. disease That is what the Keokuk
) board of health is attempting to do in
: ordering all parents to keep their
! children on their own premises. But
Y for its righteousness the order would
t smack of a Russian ukase or Turkish
3 trade Only in an absolute monarchy,
where the will of the ruler is the
supreme law and where that will is ex-
Z ecuted with the sword, would such an
i order be promulgated in all serious
It ness. AS this is neither Russia nor
l. Turkey. but free American city
6 where the people rule and rule intel
1t ligently it follows that the board must
l. have either made mistake as to the
v scope Of its powers or else was ambi-
IS tious to Guido George AIDES famous
e Sultan of Sulu' or the almost equally
if we'll known King of Nicobar as ex-
n matter of issuing grotesque edicts. 1t
Id would be unkind to imagine the act
~ ing mayor with a pasteboard crown
covered with tinsel on his head, and
the conclusion is therefore favored
c, that the decree was drawn up for his
is signature without thought of the
lie tragi-comic attitude in which Ii would
lie place him and his fellow members OF
h, the board
II moments reflection should have
I'd been sufficient to convince anyone
st that such an order even if warranted
ty by law, could not be enforced II
as free from disease and exposure there
to to children have a right, in common
s. with adults, to be on the streets fol
le pleasure or business, and that right
+" is not to be denied them without the
" consent of their parents as long as
IN they behave themselves. It would be
fine sight, truly, to see the police
arresting children by the score ant
es marching them off to the calaboose
TO for no other offense than going on ar
al errand for their parents when theil
20 homes are not quarantined. And how
of long does anyone imagine such pro
he cedure would be allowed to continue
re The board of health should hayt
nj thought OF these things before pub
nj fishing its foolish order to the effec
n- that citizens must keep their children
nd confined to their own premises. Bet
lg- ter not have issued any order at al
lis than one so manifestly incapable o
re enforcement and so patiently absurd
ty The mistake primarily Of the loca
i'll board OF health was in ordering tn
lschools closed. The preponderance @