The Russellville Democrat., 1878-09-05
LITTLE ROCKS QUARAN-
 TINE.


 Many of our contemporaries, espe- cialiy those at safe distance from danger, have ridiculed our qnaian- tine regulations, and some have even charged us with adding inhumanity to cowardice. Those papers have done us great injustice. They do not seem to understand or appreciate the situation. Quarantine was es- tablished here about the time the fever was declared epidemic in Memphis, and when her citizens were beginning to leave in great numbers and scatter through the country. Every consideration of self protection and reasonable pre- caution demanded that we should, if possible, prevent the influx of any of these refugees into our city. Why? Because there were ample outlets into the interior of Tennessee and Kentucky and all the States North, freely opened for thelr escape to localities where there was no dan ger of the fever becoming epidemic; and there was great danger of Its becoming epidemic, if introduced in this city. It had been demonstrat- ed by the death from yellow fever of two of our citizens Ill 1873 that the contagion or infection could be com municated here; and to have brought it here as early as August would doubtless have proved as fatal as it is now proving to be in Memphis. No refugee from Memphis ought to have thought for moment of com ing in this direction.
 But, again; Little Rock, being the railroad center of the State, and the gateway to all the interior coun- try north, west and south of us, the people in those localities along the line of travel, looked to us for pro- lection, and in protecting ourselves we protected them. In order to make tIle quarantine effectual it had to be an absolute cutting off of all communication with Memphis, and that could not be done except by stopping all trains, as we'll as steam boats, coming from that direction. It was necessary to keep up this kind of a quarantine during the process of the refugees leaving Mem phis and settling themselves else where. The process has now been completed. All who intend to leave Memphis have already left and set tied down somewhere else. The strictness of the quarantine can now be relaxed with safety, and the Board of Health are gradually open ing up communication with all points east of us at safe distance from the infected localities.
 In view of the great periIs that have threatened us, and still threat en us, we do not think that the ac- ton of our Board of Health has been such as to call forth the criticism tbat has been so freely indulged in by some of the country press.-Ga- zette.
 We deprecate all rash acts caused by panics in eases of dIre epidemics like the present. We know very silly action is often taken by small towns in establishing harsh quaran- tine regulations where the surround ing circumstances do not really jus tity it. But we fully concur with our city contemporary, the Gazette, that Little Rock has done nothing more than her plain and imperative duty in the action she has taken. So long as that place is free from infection, and is guarded and pro- tected, the interior towns of the State are safe, but once let the plague get It's poisonous seeds plant, ed there and it will indeed prove the gateway, and the roads leading out therefrom will prove the arteries which will rapidly spread the fever  to scores of other towns. The stric- ures which have been layished upon Little Rock have been uucalled for. We, at this town, have felt perfectly easy and safe under the protection afforded by Little Rocks quarantine, but if it had not been for that we would have had q perfect panic, Little Rock has done right and has not been whit too rigid. Her Board of Health deserves the thanks of interior towns. In behalf of oul place we tender them thanks.