The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-10
THE SUDDEN
CHANGE IN
THE SENATE
Major Thomas B0udren Asks
Some Pertinent Questions
Regarding Compulsory Vac
cinatiOn
Editor of the Farmer:

10
islature, on House Bill No. BAT, must
! confess that legislation and the ways
| of legislators are mysterious to me-
! The bill in question was for the repeal
| Of the law now disgracing the statutes
| Of this State, by which defenceless lit
tie children are compelled to submit
| to vaccination before they will be adj
mitted to the public school,
| The bill was reported unfaVorably by
| the committee on Public Health and
| Safety, who had the bill in charge
| That the committee would do so /
| knew from past experience, as it is
not to be expected that a committee
dominated by the medical profession
| would do otherwise. No doctor should
ever have place as judge or jury
| man in the peoples court, in a. case
where the doctor is pecuniarily and
personally interested Judges are
often known to disqualify themselves
| in cases where they are personally in
| terested, but whether the day will
ever come when members Of the med
ical profession will act equally honor
able is question.
The House, after some debate. voted
to accept the committees unfavorable
report. In due time the report came
up in the Senate, and was practically
rejected, by a vote of nineteen to four
teen; but, as the question of vaccina-
ton was considered Of vital import
ance and worthy of the fullest in
curry, it was decided to reconsider the
action taken and the matter was made
the order of the day after IL o'clock
noon, two days later. When the time
set arrived, the matter was taken up
and, strange to say. that same body,
the Senate, accepted the committees
unfayorable report by a vote Of TWEEN
ty to six.
Wnnd0rTnanf
many, what influence could have been
brought to bear upon these gentlemen,
that could furnish justification for
such a change of sentiment.
The friends of this bill have furnish
ed every member of both the House
as to the futility and harmful results
of vaccination, and arguments de-
nouncing the practice by the ablest
minds Of the century. The evidence
submitted must have been weighed
with a judicial mind in order to cause
the unfaVorable committee report to
be rejected when first presented in the
Senate. and what caused the complete
change of point and reversal of op1n-
ion, two days later, the people would
like to know
Are the men who voted against this
bill prepared to defend their action
before their constituents, a large pro-
portion, if not the majority, of whom
are opposed to the present law and
are voters in the State of Connecti-
cut, and as such are entitled to an
answer?
Do the men who voted against this
bill realize that in consequence of
their action their children and their
neighbors' children may at any time
be compelled to become diseased?
Do they realize the risks attendant
70 thn q NUN hN- IA n
that in the past two years about 100
children have died, yearly, Of lockjaw
alone, resulting from vaccination in
this country?
If any of these gentlemen desire to
take such chances with their children,
they would do it through ignorance
only. and they owe it to their own
they are subjecting them; but, can
they offer any good reason for COM
pelling their fellow citizens, who are
fully as intelligent as they. the right
to refuse to submit their healthy,
lovely children. their dearest treasures
to be blood poisoned with a vile COM
pound, the nature of which is I'M
known to the mercenary experiment.
ers, who make and use it, and the eff
fects of which no man can foretelI?
This question of vaccination was not
a political one, and no legislator was
bound by party pledges in his actions;
and yet, this Infamous blot upon our
statute books is allowed to remain
menace to the people of this State.
1t was largely question of morals
and the conservation of natural rights.
but too many of the peoples so-called
did not, unfortunately,
measure up to the requirements.
Of one thing. they and all future
legislators may rest assured-the ques-
ir,of for, will
come UP again. and again, before
them, until it is settled right, and 1
to them these expressive |
lines in the beautiful poem of Ella
Wheeler Wilcox:
However the battle is ended.
Though proudly the victor comes
With f1uttering flags and prancing |
nags,
And echo of rolling drums;
Still, truth proclaims this motto,
In letters of living light
mo question is ever settled
Until it is settled right!''
Those of us who are fighting this
battle against compulsory vaccination
are not contending for ourselves alone,
but for the defenceless little children,
who are unable to defend themselves,
ali men with any spark Of chivalry in
their blood would defend from Such
horrible suffering as too frequently
follows the operation of vaccination;
and all men who value health and life
and love little children should join in
the fight against vaccination.
AS for myself. as it affects me per-
1 would not make a single
effort to have the compulsory law re-
oealed. for a double barrel shot gun
furnishes all the protection I need for
myself and my family land, as sufi-
,ient reason for using it, I have
of the fact that God has
given me some natural rights, that no
set of lawmakers have a right to de-
Drive me of, which would be sum-
Gent reason for my using it.
1t is a matter of sincere regret that
one of the Senators from Bridgeport
could allow himself to take the side
lie did on this question. as he must
nave known that, outside of the men
Inv fI,n of vi