EDITORIAL. 
301 
What is the cause of this infectious outbreak of political 
quackery ? Is it due to lack of organization among veterinari¬ 
ans ? Is it that the graduated veterinarian is not enough of a 
politician ? Or what is the matter ? 
And what is the remedy ? 
The answer to the last interrogation is more easily given 
than the preceding ones. The profession in States where pro¬ 
fessional offices are filled by political preferment must strike at 
the root of the evil. It will do no good to wage perpetual war 
against the appointive power for doing an act which the law 
permits him to do. As scientific men, as dignified professional 
gentlemen, we cannot afford to enter a scramble for such posi¬ 
tions with political heelers, who are making capital out of the 
very prominence which our protests are bringing them. It is a 
blot upon our form of government that such offices are the sub¬ 
ject of reward for ante-election services, and the remedy lies in 
their elimination from that category. 
The law is at fault: the veterinarians must have it changed. 
Place all such positions in the competitive list, where none are 
eligible except those holding diplomas from recognized veter¬ 
inary colleges or universities. Do our scrambling before the 
legislative committees, unitedly, determinedly, relentlessly, and 
the righteousness of the cause will be irresistible. 
UNITED STATES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSO¬ 
CIATION. 
Nothing, it would seem, is now lacking to make the thirty- 
fourth annual meeting of the National Association a record- 
breaker in interest, profit, attendance and social pleasure. If 
there is a disposition to doubt this statement, a reference to the 
news columns of this issue of the Review should be sufficient 
to dispel such fears, for certainly the intellectual programme is 
full to overflowing with subjects that appeal to every phase of 
our profession; the outline of the arrangements made by the 
local committee for the social delectation of the guests is suffi¬ 
cient to make one yearn for the rapid approach of the days when 
