The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-21
wEDNnsDAY. ynBRuAaY q. lsla.
The Work
of Prevention.

4
Hearst's Atlanta Georgian, has begun
campaign Of prevention" which. II
successful, VIII do more to make the
world batter. happier and stronger
than any movement which has been in
augurated IN recent years. There is
nothing new IN the ideas advanced, but
, If he can carry the work to a sue
cessful end he viii deserve much
credft.
The subject Of his Monday editorial
was prevention. OF disease. Of drunk
asnness. Of ignorance. OF poverty, OF
sorrow. Of bigotry.''
Speaking &c the prevention OF these
things Mr.. Graves says:
Disease can be prevented by human
Intelligence.
Untimsly death can be prevented.
Drunkenness. that brutality which
accompanies ignorance. the criminal
hate that goes with bigotry-all these
can be prevented
Prevention is the highest, noblest
task Of science. philanthropy and law
making.
The public omcial whose thorough,
cleaning OF the streets and enforce
1nent of hygienic law prevents thou
sands Of cases Of disease Is far above
the doctor who cures a patient here
and there
The learned physician who studies
unseIhshly the problem Of prevention,
who gives to the world his discoveries
without patent and without pay.
I saving the lives Of millions that win
come after him, as Koch, Pasteur and
others have done, is a benefactor of
humanity far above those whose names
are honored and whose statues are
built up.
Ask eny ten persons you chance to
meet and nine out Of every ten will
say they favor the prevention of dis
ease. of drunkenness. OF ignorance, OF
poverty. Of sorrow and Of b1gotry, but
their works do not show it. Man has
been working for commercial gain
above everything else for so many
years that as a matter of fact few
realize that they are engaging in bust
inesses which cause disease. drunken
ness. ignorance, poverty. sorrow and
bigotry.
Today the ambition Of every right
thinking person should be to aid in the
campaign to bring to the minds OF
people the fact that they cannot, from
3 humanitarian standpoint nor from an
honorable standpoint. engage in a busi-
ness or 3 profession unless it has an
uplifting influence.
A person who devotes a greater part
Of his life to promote disease, drunken
ness. Ignorance. poverty. sorrow OF
bigotry. had better never been born,
/ for the world is only made worse for
his having lived. There ara many
i avenues open to everyone who wants
| to benefit himself and at the same time
benedt others. It Is the duty of right
thinkers to impress this fact upon
those who are engaged in businesses
and professions which have no uplift-
Ing influences and which either cause
disease, drunkenness, ignorance, pow
eRty. sorrow or bigetry.
The Georgia wisely says "the news
papers, when honestly and ably man
aged; the sermons of intelligent and
enlightened clergymen. the advice OF
conscientious doctors that prefer
healthy patients to fat bills, the un-
selfish ceunsess of good lawyers who
oppose litigation, the innumerabie
plans for getting the children and mer
and women, old and young, out OF the
cities into the country; the laws
against unhealthy tenements, the laws
against impure foods. the demand fol-
legislation holding government respon.
sible for the national healthA-aIl Of
these are steps in the direction of pre-.
vention.'