1884.] CIVILIZATION AND ITS WASTES. 269 



cease, because men will never live up to the best of their 

 knowledge. So long as there are folly, and selfishness, and 

 sin in the world, everybody will not do as well as they know 

 how, and some will die always before the natural term of 

 human life ; but much fewer will die of those diseases in the 

 future than in the past. I believe to-day we have got perfect 

 control over cholera, over the plague, over the typhoids, over 

 the small-pox, and a variety of those diseases which in pre- 

 vious ages have kept down population, prevented the growth 

 of all large cities, and constituted all of the pestilences, nearly, 

 to which people in our climate were subjected. But there is 

 a large class of diseases called" filth diseases," to, which these 

 zymotic diseases belong. Whether they are caused by the 

 pollution of well-water or not, some of them we know are 

 spread in that way. I say we know it. There is no question 

 of it whatever. The man is a fool who stands up in these 

 days and denies it, with the facts in regard to the spread of 

 those diseases. We cannot prove that some are caused by it, 

 but we know that if they are not caused by the pollution of 

 the water we use, it enormously increases their malignancy. 

 We cannot prove that diphtheria is caused by it, but anybody 

 who has had any experience in the matter knows that it 

 enormously increases the malignancy of diphtheria. 



Now, to come back to the point that is directly before us, 

 this matter of the pollution of streams. It must be taken 

 hold of in this State. I say it 7nust be, and it will be. 

 (Applause). It is simply a question of time. There are two 

 reasons to-day why it is not taken hold of, and only two. 

 First, a large number of people are ignorant, or at least 

 uncertain, as to the facts ; and, secondly, there are impor- 

 tant money interests, vast concentrations of capital, that want 

 things to go on as they are. Now, as individuals suffer, they 

 cannot frighten great corporations; they cannot contend effect- 

 ually against the influences which are exerted by those who 

 have large property ; but I tell you, as we see this matter 

 more clearly face to face, as we see the disease, suflering and 

 death that it brings, and the lives that might be saved by a 



