166 
W*. L. RHOADS. 
greater interest in public affairs and thus loan your valued in¬ 
fluence to better government throughout the land ? We, as a 
profession, take little appreciable interest in politics, and why ? 
Is it because we are afraid of crossing our clientage ? Can we 
not well afford to do without the practice of the narrow-minded 
cynic who ceases to employ us when we but prove ourselves ca¬ 
pable of administering to his stock, prove we have a mind 
capable of independent thought by being men enough to assert 
the courage of our political convictions ? Why is it that we 
find so few veterinarians on our local boards of health when 
they are so well prepared both by education and training to act 
as sanitary experts in perfecting the healthfulness of the meat, 
milk and food supply of a community as well as the sanitary 
surroundings ? 
Why is it that the veterinarians will vote and in many cases 
assiduously work to accomplish the desired ends for probably a 
valued client to us, financially, yet as a politician he may be a 
ringster and a spendthrift with the public moneys? Moneys 
which too many of the legislatures of to-day feel it a duty to 
spend in many cases wantonly and recklessly. Yet this money 
all comes through the channels of taxation from the individual 
who demands that the public receive it in a way which guaran¬ 
tees the greatest good to the greatest number. Why are our vet¬ 
erinarians assisting in this robbery of the populace bv charging 
exorbitant fees for public work? Fees which in many cases 
trebly repay them for that day’s loss of private practice. Are 
you not putting a stumbling block in the way of the further¬ 
ance of just such work ? It is true a stumble may prevent a 
fall, but it is not well to stumble too often, it looks suspicious 
and may cause rumors ; you will then have to ask yourself 
Why ? 
Why will our members deride and criticise legislation al¬ 
ready gained (which, though probably not what we would like 
it to be, is yet a stepping stone to better), when they absolutely 
refuse to loan their assistance toward the procuring this much- 
to-be-desired article ? Why is it the men most loud in their 
