Henderson gold leaf., 1911-09-21
The ''Tewn Fathers" and the New
Sanitary Ordinance.

: The Henderson Gold Leaf has been
during the last few weeks, the medium
, for a good deal of criticism directed
toward the so-called "town fathers. ,
: Without expressing any opinion az
, to the merits or demerits of these
criticisms, | desire to say that they
have been one-sided. Honest criti
cism must not be censorious merely
1t must commend the good as well
as condemn the evil | desire to take
my place for moment among the
critics OF our commissioners that !
may lift my voice in applause of at
| least one OF their deeds-their rrra-
tion OF our new sanitary ordinance.
This ordinance, for the protection
of the health of the town, is pro-
nOunced by the ladies of the Civic
League to be the most important
that has been passed by the COM
missiOners OF our town in 5he last
quarter OF a century. This state
ment may seem rather strong to
some, but | for one have no disposi-
tion to question it's accuracy. From
the time that primitive men slaugh-
tered their neighbors that they might
enlarge their hunting grounds, to
the present, when organized wealth
crushes the weak that their wealth
may increase, the world has always
valued property above human life.
Even to-day, nineteen hundred years
after the Great Teacher demonstrate
ed the value and the dignity of hu-
man life, the lawmakers and Judges
OF every Christian land stop their
ears to the cry of the widow and the
orphan lest, in correcting the abuses
against which the Isaiahs of every
age have declaimed, they ''injure bus
iness." In view of this age-long and
racs-old prediudice, it is no little
thing that our commissioners have
passed an ordinance that will involve
the spending of q thousand or two
dollars by the community, and all
tor no other reason than that the
health OF the community may be
safe-guarded
OF course it will not be forgotten
that large portion of our gratitude
for the ordinance under cOnsidera-
tion is due to our efficient, up-to-
date health officer, DR.. R. T. Up
church. 1t is due to his untiring ef-
forts, as we'll us to the cooperation
OF our commissioners, that the town
has received this boon for which we
are giving thanks.
Unquestionably there will be some
who will object to the ordinance.
Some will object on the old, old
ground of expense. Others, because
they have not yet been educated to
see the value OF such things. Still
Others will find fault with what they
call interference in their own private
affairs. One of the most interesting
things to be noted in connection
with the evolution of the race toward
higher forms of civilization is the OBJ
stinacy with which men resist every
force that tends to socialize them
to make them good neighbors and
public spirited citizens. "COnsciOus-
ness Ofkind," which is, according to
the great thought OF Professor Gid
dings, what Jesus meant by love,
is the highest product of a ripen-
ed Christian civilization and Christ
ian character. If we do not find this
consciousness very highly developed
in all OF our citizenship, we need not
be discouraged nor surprised-it is
capable OF rapid growth. This spirit,
which is converting men into neigh
bors, and bringing them into sub
lection to the Golden Rule" is fill
ing the earth, and is daily express
ing itself in some of the greatest
movements of the ages. Something
of this spirit is shown in the banish-
ment of the hogs from Henderson,
and in the sanitary ordinance under
consideration, and it will not be long
till every citizen of the town will be
sufficiently unselfish and public spir-
tied to thank the commissioners
who dared to tax them slightly for
their neighbor's good.
| cannot close = these comments
without adding that there is one
thing that mars my Joy at the pas
sage of this law, which means 80
much for the sanitary conditions of
our town. | refer to the fact that
our industrial suburbs, North and
South Henderson, are not to share
in these benefits. The same sanitary
regulations that prevail in our city
should be enforced there. Until this
is done the little ones in these COM
munities will continue TO succumb to
filth diseases as they have done in
the past. And we ourselves cannot
hope to be immune if we allow infec-
tion to be bred so close to our back
doors. J. W. MORGAN.