408 
WM. HERBERT LOWE, 
graduates of New Jersey, they, my constituents, are in duty- 
bound to nominate and elect a successor to me at the next annual 
meeting, which will take place in April, 1887. Until that date 
they will have to suffer for the mistakes they made at Loin* 
Branch, August 6, 1885, and confirmed at Morristown last April. 
No one would more freely admit than I do that there are a 
few non-graduates in our State as worthy, and, if you please, more 
worthy than some graduates, yet I believe we have to draw a 
line of demarkation somewhere, and where shall we draw it if not 
between the graduate and the non-graduate. I believe that there 
are a few self-made veterinarians in the State that a license should 
be given to by the State society. This would give a few experienced 
practical men a legal opportunity to practice, but it should be 
stated plainly on their certificates that they are liceneiates of the 
State society and not cullege graduates. But I do not believe 
that they should be admitted to regular membership in scientific 
societies. 
There are several of the State veterinary societies, including 
the New York State Veterinary Society, that, in my opinion, are 
operating upon a wrong principle. I hold that we must have 
societies of graduates or societies of quacks. The moment we 
admit non-graduates into State societies and give them certifi¬ 
cates testifying that they are worthy members, that moment we 
are lowering the standard of the regular profession, while we 
elevate and legalize quackery and empiricism. 
It is poor encouragement for the young men of the profes¬ 
sion, who have worked hard to graduate from a veterinary col¬ 
lege, to find that they must recognize irregular practitioners as 
their peers. It is also poor encouragement for those about to 
enter college, if the quacks of the country are to be made legal¬ 
ized practitioners. The legislation may be sncli as to protect the 
future generation, but it is hardly justice to the present. 
One reason why our society meetings are not better attended 
is that there are not a few of the graduates who do not approve 
of admitting non-graduates, however competent. I claim that no 
veterinary society will meet with permanent success unless it de¬ 
clares that no one can be admitted to membership unless he be a 
