846 
Editorial. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
December,  1920. 
editors  of  rival  journals  were  preferred;"  that  a  coterie  has  been  in 
control  of  the  journal  and  that  these  barnacles  having  about  wrecked 
the  ship  are  now  yelling  lustily  for  help." 
This  tissue  of  overdrawn,  harsh  and  uncalled  for  accusations,  it 
would  seem  had  been  penned  during  an  attack  of  dyspepsia  or  a 
period  of  aberration  that  blotted  from  memory  and  barred  from 
sight  a  more  pleasing,  characteristic  and  truthful  picture.  So  ab- 
surd are  these  and  other  statements  contained  that  refutation  would 
appear  as  unnecessary.  They  must  fall  because  of  their  lack  of 
foundation,  their  inherent  weakness  and  unbalanced  construction. 
Unfortunately,  despite  the  crumbling  into  the  dust  from  which 
such  mud  pies  are  made,  this  derogation  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association  and  the  aspersion  of  the  motives  of  those  who 
have  so  unstintingly  devoted  their  best  efforts  to  its  upbuilding,  re- 
mains as  a  vicious  example  of  the  disparagements  emanating  from 
some  whose  actions  are  not  in  harmony  with  their  professed  interest 
in  the  progress  of  pharmacy. 
It  is  the  duty  of  pharmacists  to  uphold  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association  and  to  sell  membership  therein  to  every  drug- 
gist in  America.  Would  any  salesman  commit  such  a  suicidal  act 
as  to  advertise  to  his  prospective  customers  every  possible  defect 
or  imaginary  fault  that  either  had  occurred  or  that  might  arise  in 
his  merchandise. 
All  products  of  the  human  conception  are  prone  to  fall  short  of 
their  ideals  and  this  is  but  an  evidence  of  the  imperfection  of  man 
and  the  limits  to  his  powers  and  knowledge  wisely  ordained  by  the 
Omnipotent  and  Omniscient  Creator.  The  American  Pharmaceu- 
tical Association  is  but  the  reflection  of  the  imperfect  endeavors  of 
imperfect  human  beings  to  effect  an  ethical  development  of  the  com- 
mercial and  professional  aspects  of  pharmacy.  Perfection  cannot 
be  expected  and  the  faults  of  judgment  and  the  errors  of  manage- 
ment are  only  the  common  experiences  of  all  such  organizations. 
In  the  past,  we  have  frankly  criticized  some  of  these  defects,  how- 
e\^er,  without  at  any  time  questioning  the  sincerity  or  moti\^es  of  its 
officers.  We  hold  this  as  the  common  right  of  all  members.  The 
advocacy  of  any  meritorious  action  does  not  require  the  disparage- 
ment of  the  great  work  of  the  Association  and  the  honest  endeavors 
of  its  active  members.  True  reforms  and  actual  progress  are  achieved 
through  the  orderly  processes  of  evolution  working  along  the  paths 
of  established  forms  and  tried  legal  methods  of  procedure. 
