Amjuiy^884arnK}  Editorials.  399 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
The  Milwaukee  Meetings.— In  less  than  two  months  the  pharmacists 
and  druggists  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  will  assemble  in  Milwaukee 
and  hold  two  separate  meetings,  the  one  confining  its  deliberations  to  the 
so-called  trade  interests,  while  the  other  is  devoted  mainly  to  the  scientific 
branch  of  practical  pharmacy.  The  American  Pharmaceutical  Association 
will  meet  August  26th,  and  its  sessions  will  probably  extend  over  four  days, 
while  the  National  Retail  Druggists  Association  will  probably  close  this 
year's  deliberations  on  Monday  August  25th,  or,  on  the  morning  of  Tuesday. 
The  official  notices  of  these  meetings  will  be  found  on  another  page  and 
among  the  advertisements  ;  in  this  place  we  desire  to  quote  from  the  presi- 
dent's, Henry  Canning,  call  lor  the  meeting  on  Monday  ;  he  says : 
Many  powerful  local  organizations  have  sprung  into  existence  as  the 
possibility  of  good  results  from  the  N.  R.  D.  A  movement  began  to  be  fore- 
seen. It  is  now  more  than  ever  necessary  to  band  together  locally,  in  order 
to  carry  out  what  would  perhaps  never  have  been  accomplished,  were  it  not 
for  this  National  organization,  an  infant  less  than  a  year  ago,  already  the 
parent  of  many  promising  children. 
The  Campion  movement  started  out  with  thirteen  signers.,  a  somewhat 
significant  number,  and  generally  laid  down  as  an  unlucky  one.  This 
glorious  Nation  started  out,  however,  with  just  thirteen  members,  and  is 
now  a  living  illustration  of  the  exceptions  to  the  rule.  Much  has  been 
said  against  this  attempt  to  better  the  mercantile  side  of  our  business,  from 
two  prominent  sources,  viz :  those  chronically  and  apathetically  looking 
on,  and  ever  holding  to  the  notion  that  it  "  cannot  be  cured,  but  must  be  en- 
dured ;"  and  those  other  few,  crying  out  to  their  brethren  that  the  movement 
"  is  undignified  and  unworthy  the  Pharmacist,"  forgetting  that  we  are  in  a 
certain  sense  tradesmen,  as  well  as  professional  members  of  society.  The 
former  class  are  only  too  ready  to  accept  the  results  of  our  labors,  and  are 
quite  as  likely  to  become  suddenly  very  zealous,  and  to  join  the  u  I-told- 
you-so"  ranks.  To  the  latter  class.  I  can  only  say,  that  I  refer  them 
respectfully  to  the  membership  roll  of  the  N.  R.  D.  A. ;  there  they  will 
find  the  names  of  very  many  of  the  ablest  Pharmacists  of  the  land— jealous, 
too,  of  the  honor  of  their  profession.  They  fully  realize  that  this  rampant 
tendency  to  monopoly,  which  characterizes  the  age,  is  making  serious 
inroads  in  their  business,  which,  from  its  responsible  nature,  ought  to  retire 
them  at  a  respectable  age.  This  war  on  Proprietary  goods  is  demoralizing 
in  its  effects  to  the  entire  mercantile  or  money-making  part  of  their  busi- 
ness. Why  should  we  not  attempt,  then,  to  regulate  the  sale  of  these 
arbitrary  goods,  and  if  we  must  handle  them  (knowing  the  public  will 
have  them),  do  so  only  on  a  fair  margin  ? 
Do  not,  my  friends,  consider  that  the  mission  of  the  N.  R.  D.  A.  ends 
with  the  settlement  of  this  one  question.  Besides  the  fulfillment  of  this 
movement,  as  yet  only  fairly  begun,  there  are  many  things  remaining  to 
be  done.  I  will  here  cite  but  one  reason,  among  the  many,  that  ought  to 
make  every  druggist  in  the  land  who  loves  his  calling  send  in  his  name 
and  dollar,  and  that  is,— that  we  might  by  one  gigantic  voice  memorialize 
our  law-makers  in  Congress,  to  repeal  or  modify  the  odious  and  stigmatizing 
Retail  Liquor  Tax,  a  law  which  now  places  us  in  title  and  in  fee  on  the 
same  level  with  him  who  literally  deals  out  his  poison  to  the  ruin  of  man- 
kind. Would  not  the  voice  of* ten  or  twenty  thousand  unwilling,  but 
patient,  sufferers  be  heard?  With  a  gigantic  National  organization  much 
can  be  done  for  the  common  good  ;  and  the  common  good  is  the  individual 
good.  ,  Co-operation  is  the  only  remedy  to  counteract  the  monopolistic 
tendency  of  the  age. 
