Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-05-05
THE DOCTORS
 WANT TOO MUCH

l medical freedom in the state is un- doubtedly marked by the organization of the Arkansas Branch of National League for Medical Freedom.
 The pending of two bils at the present time fin the Arkansas Legis- lature (S B. Hughes, No. 1as and s. E Hughes No. 451) are directed speci- fically against medical freedom and provide that 1t shall be the duty oi the State Health Commissioner to protect the health Iof the people and that he shall have power to make any and all laws and regulations touch ing the prevention and cure of dis ease and clothing him with power to determine and enforce the most prac- tical means therefor.
 Section , of S. B., No 451 says, Tt shall be the duty of the Commission CT of Health, with the concurrence Of the Advisory Board to protect the health of the people of the state and to determine, employ and execute the most efficient and practical means for sthe prevention and suppression of disease; he shall have and possess all powers necessary to fulfill the duties prescribed in this act, but not in any unlawful or arbitrary man ner''
 That last clause above quoted, says the Medical Freedom League, truly, lis a cheap, meaningless graf- uity for the Health Commissioner anc Board in all matters of disease and it's prevention, are a supreme law un~ to themselves
 Those who are really friends of Medical Freedom and who see in tStste Medicine an equally undeslr- able and un-American thing as in 'sState Religion and who claim for themselves the equal right ,of select ing their doctor as their preacher will not be fooled into believing that the Twentieth Century is not as cap able of producing a class of intoler- ant political doctors as it is of pro- ducing greed and graft in other dir ections.
 Too much can never be said in the support of Political, Civil, Medical and Religious Liberty. In fact, it has waited fo rjust the greed of the pres ent period lof predatory interests to exploit the bodily health and welfare of the people by the fostering of a medical monopoly or trust sought to be supported by Legislative enact ment in every state in the Union and by many bills in Congress The first bill introduced at the present extra session of Congress is s'S. B. No. r, by Senator Owen of Oklahoma, en- titled "A Bill to establish Depart ment l,f Health and for other pur- poses.''
 A ao-called League of Thousand Health Writers fill the press with blood-curdling theories of disease trifling with the truth in ways both wicked and dangerous, doing inestim- able damage by the creation of false and groundless fears in the minds of the people, only to come forward with great show of alleged charity and public spirit and say, in effect, in these iniquitous bills which they are offering all over the country-'We know the case is awfully bad, but just give us political doctors all Hhe power and auth hIority we want, and We will keep this awful hoard of threat 1 ening evils off of you, ,"-and "of course," they add, ''you must give us whole lot of money for doing it!" It seems that these political doctors would make the public white-wash their fences and then pay for the pri- vilege, la Tom Sawyer
 The doctors e the Arkansas Medi- cal Society, meeting at Fort Smith i this week are fearful that the activi- ties of the Arkansas Branch of the National League for Medical Freedom 1 will defeat this pet measure, Bill 451 by Hughes creating State Depart ment of Health Even to the in vasicn of the home.'
 Dr. Morgan Smith is reported to have declared, in describing the pow
 CTS of the proposed Health Commis-
 sioner and Hoard. But who wants
 his home invaded when the invaders
 make their own rules governing the
 invasion?
 ARKANSAS BRANCH
 The National League for Medical