Henry Baird Favill, AB, MD, LL.D., 1860-1916, a ... - University Library

294 HENRY B A I R D F A V I L L
private organizations that are found to be effective.
There
is no legal reason why, no reason why of any kind; and,
after all, money is not the chief difficulty. The chief difficulty
in these matters is to get the official life of the State
awakened to a point of responsibility, awakened to the
idea that something must be done, the legislative, administrative
officials, et al. It is sympathy that is lacking, not
money. Money comes easily after sympathy.
One thing more is this: Suppose that we could this
minute turn over to the State the activities of these private
organizations. Supposing that everybody that is carrying
his burden could just discharge it onto the State, and supposing
the activities of private individuals in the cause
should be withdrawn. The loss would be incalculable.
I do not hesitate to make that statement. The loss
would be incalculable, if the interest of the people who are
doing this work up to this time were to be withdrawn by
any such substitution. Let us not forget that. Is there
any reason in theory or in fact why official, social service
should have a strong line
of demarcation from non-official
social service? I say no, and I say that official association
with non-ofhcial boards, non-official advisers, councils, auxiliary
councils, has got to come, in order to conserve the conscience
and the civic intelligence of the people who thus far
have shown themselves so abundantly able to carry the burden.
You will see that I am not disposed to take the State
as a dead thing, nor as a mere aggregation of people and
things. I am told to take the State as an idea, the expression
of the coordinated choice of the people, and its function
is only limited by its relationship to those purposes. And,
therefore, we are in hopes that the government will see that
its obligation is just as broad as its opportunity, and we
are in hopes that with regard to public health matters the
government will discern in the matter the opportunity for
a comprehensive, consistent, cooperating policy,
the opportunity
to justify the ideals of democracy.