The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-09-18
Ep1DEm1cs-DUTY OF THE PRESS.

All countries are subject to epidemics Of
one kind or another The plague, the
cholera, the yellow fever, the typhus, the
small pox, the measles, etc, ell of these
become epidemic and sometimes are very
destructive. AS is well known, the most
common epidemic in the Southern cities is
the yellow fever, which does not often pre-
vail except in warm climates, though occa-
sionally it has broken out, by introduction
from abroad or by some local cause, in cities
far beyond the tropics and committed great
ravages-as, towards the close of the last
century, in Philadelphia and even in New
York. In later times, in 1s54-5, it pre-
vailed to fearful extent in Norfolk,
Virginia, and in some degree also, we
believe, in Baltimore. Usually, however,
it is confined to the more Southern cities, as
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans,
and other points on the Gulf. Sometimes it
extends to other towns further north and in
the interior, reaching into the country and
pervading whole districts. Whether it is
contagious or not, seems to be rather an un-
settled question among the medical faculty;
though our understanding is that a large
majority of them consider it not contagious,
but the result of malaria, which is our own
opinion, simply from observation and ex-
perience. It has never been known to spread
in any healthy locality, though people, hav-
ing taken it at other places, come and die
there. at certain point above the sea
level, it never occurs even within the
tropics We have forgotten the height, but
we believe it is somewhere between four or
five hundred feet. We are no doctor, or
man of science, and are not attempting ac-
euracy on this subject We have said this
muth as Introductory to something else,
about which our judgment HiafS5. may. be as good,
perhaps, as many others. We refer to the
duty of the press, when yellow fever pre-
vails or there are rumors of its existence
anywhere, or of its approach from any di-
rection. Of course, this duty consists in
telling the plain truth about it, if it can be
ascertained. But this is often very diff
cult thing to do. In its commencement at
any place, there will always be any number
of contradictory reports concerning it, and
the doctors seldom can all agree among them
selves. Some will assert, that yellow fever
exists, others will strenuously deny it. We
are told it is often very difficult at first to
decide whether case is one of yellow
fever or malignant form of bilious fever
A physician breads to announce it yellow
fever, If there is a shadow of doubt in the
case, lest be bring down upon his head the
whole mercantile interests Of the city and
be accused of getting up an unnecessary
panic. Hence, at all times, in every place
where the yellow fever has been, it has
never been fully established and admitted
that it was there until it has gotten under
full swing and sway. Now, we hold that
the conductors of newspapers should be
extremely careful in their reports about any
epidemic, giving only the plain truth, if it
can be ascertained; and in matters of doubt,
if they err, let them err on the safe side.
In all doubtful cases, let it be considered
that it is a matter of money on the one side
and matter of human life on the other.
1t is bad thing to put a stop to the trade
of thriving city or town, even for few
weeks-it is a bad thing to aid in getting
up panic, when there was really no occa-
sion for one, but it is still worse to be in
strumental in the death of a single human
being. We would rather be accused of in
juring needlessly the moneyed interest OF
any set of people, by publishing yellow fe-
ver reports, which turned out to be un-
founded, than to be liable to the charge
that, by Withholding them, we had been
the cause of a single ones sickness or death.
This is our idea, and we make these remarks
in explanation Of the course we intend to
pursue.