River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-02-25

"The next profession Is that 81 the
teacher. OF course, the great num-
Der of teachers are engaged in pri-
mary and secondary instruction and
in industrial or vocational work. Their
relation to politics and government Is
of the utmost Importance though in
direct. 1t is, and ought to be, their
highest duty to instill in the minds of
the young girls and boys the patriot
ism and love of country, because the
boy is father to the man and the pa
triotism of the extreme youth of the
country may we'll determine that OF
the grown men. The effect of an in
tense patriotism which thrills through
the nerves of the boys of a country is
illustrated in the immense strength
which Japan derives from it. No one
who visits that interesting country or
comes into contact with the Japanese
can avoid seeing its patriotism. The
term Bushido,' is a kind of apotheosis
of patriotism. The Joy with which
Japanese give up their lives in defense
of their country has it's foundation in
real religious feeling, and is most in
spring to all who come to know it. 1t
should be full of significance to those
of the teaching profession who become
responsible for the thoughts and ideals
of the young"
To the writer, in whatever capacity
he may labor, Judge Taft attributed
great influence, either for good or for
bad.
Judge Taft paid a high tribute to
the profession of medicine, because it
had contributed to the preservation
of the health of all the people. He
pointed out that the profession had
been exalted by it's great discoveries
and by its assistance in the expansion
of our government in the tropics and
in the construction of the Panama
canal. He said:
Medical Profession EuIegized.
"The triumph which has been
reached in the name of the medical
profession in the discovery as to the
real cause of yellow fever and malaria
and the suppression of those diseases
ton of, or the infection of the mos
quito, is one of the wonders of human
progress. 1t has made the construc-
ton of the Panama canal possible. 1t
has rendered life in the tropics for i'm
migrants from the temperate zone con-
sistent with health and reasonable
length Of life, and it has opened pos
CT In hn inn M
health and strength of tropical races
themselves under governmental teach
ing, assistance and supervision that
were unthought of two decades ago.
Sanitary engineering with its proper
treatment of water, making it whole
some and harmless with it's removal
of the filth and sewage and it's con-
version of what was noxious into most
useful agencies, all confirm the gov
ernmental Importance of the profess
sion of medicine and the kindred tech.
nical profession of chemistry, engin-
eering and all branches of physical re-
search. So marked has been this in
crease in the Importance of the med
ical profession in governmental agen-
cies, that the doctors themselves have
organized a movement for the unifica'
ton of all agencies in the federal gov
eminent used to promote the public
health, in one bureau or department,
at the head of which they wish to put
a man of their own or kindred branch
of science How near this movement
will come in accomplishing the COM
plete purpose of it's promoters, only
the national legislature can tell. Ger
tainly the economy of the union of all
health agencies of the national gov
eminent in one bureau or department
is wise. Whether at the head of that
department should be put doctor of
medicine or some other person must
depend on the individual and not on
his technical professional learning or
skill. 1t is the capacity to organize,
coordinate and execute that is need
ed at the head of a department, and
not so much deep technical and pro-
fessional skill It is the ability to
Judge whether others have such tech
nical or professional skill that the
head of the department who makes
the selection of the members of his
department should be endowed with.
However this may be, it is becoming
more and more clear that the extend
ing of governmental duties into ter
ritory covered by the profession of
medicine is bringing physicians GNYe
and more into political and govern
mental relation, and we may expect
that in the next decade they will play
far greater part than they have here
tofore; and it is proper that they
should"
Washington's Greatness.
After mentioning the great good, In
actual results, accomplished by many
technical professions, Judge Taft con-
sidered in extent the profession of the
law, which, he said, lis in wide
sense the profession of government"
He said that lawyers often were Sc
lected to carry on governmental work,
because the executive faculty was a
very marked attribute of the modern
lawyer While he realized that there
were defects and weaknesses in the
profession of the law, he regarded 1t
as the most important in its relation
to political government. In conclu-
sion, he said: National exigency
seems to call forth the men peculiarly
fitted to meet the requirements of the
situation Such were Lincoln and