Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-17
GONE STARK MAD.
somsryIus as a Genial Sumner Resort.

Judging from an extra Of the Fall
con newspaper, printed at Somerville,
Tenn, last Friday evening, the editor
is as mad as a March hare and his
supporters are by this time wild with
fright, In announcing the advent Of
yellow fever at Memphis he urges an
immediate and an absolute quarantine
at once. Listen at the wild man
We don't know that any refugees
want to stop here, but, if they do, it
would be positive Kindness to them
not to allow them to do so. This is
no place or occasion for temporizing.
or squeamishness. We must stop the
train to-day. This can be done very
easily by simply telegraphing the SUI
perlntendent of the Memphis and
Charleston railroad not to send the
train to Somerville, as it is not wanted
here and will not be allowed to come.
No necessity of tearing up the track.
burning bridges or any vandalism
whatever. The superintendent has
already notified us of his willingness
to stop it whenever we tell him we
want it done. To-day is the time to
give him that information. When the
train is stopped we can next quaran-
tine the country roads. The best way
to do this is by placing flaming pla.
cards on all the roads notifying all
travellers that they come into Somer-
vile at their peril, and if they do ven
ture in and cannot give satisfactory
account of themselves and prove that
they have not been near any infected
point, that they will be fined heavily,
and if they cannot pay said fine will
be publicly whipped.
This will be taking the law into
our own hands" but that is lust ex-
actly what we will have to do. OF
course we can't put them in iail, or
anything of that sort. This will be
counting the danger we ought to avoid.
But unless. there is some penalty to-.
our quarantine ordinances they cannot
be enforced. Whipping is the only
and the proper remedy, and we have
plenty of determined men in our town
who would not hesitate in this work
Of chastisement. In such times as
these we must not be hating upon
technicalities "the safety Of our
people is the supreme law" to which
all others must bend. Lett be known
abroad that such an ordinance has
been adopted and will be enforced
and refugees aud stray travellers will
steer clear of Somerville. IF our
quarantine is not as strict as one can
be made, we had better have none at
all. Our people will then seek safety
in other ways, and we certainly would
not discourage those who expect to do
this in any event.
Some Of our people expect to leave
Immediately, and we think thew act
wisely. We would advise all those
who feel alarmed or whose families
feel alarmed, and who have a conve
Went place out in the country where
they can spend the summer comforta.
bly,, to go there right away. They can
do no business here, and we wouldn't
recommend Somervillc as a pleasure
resort during the present season. b,
this we do not mean to intimate that
we are in any present danger. We do
not think so, but every one knows that
whether we escape the scourge or not.
those who remain here will pass the
summer in constant alarm, and, If
people can leave without too great a
sacrifice, they had better do so. The
those who remain, the less dan
ger will they be in from the fever.
1t is not necessary, Of course, to say
anything about the bravery of one
method or the other. This is a subject
that question does not rise. We
want to know what is the safest plan
to adopt, and when we agree upon it.
tbs our duty to carry it out. No one
would contend that it is brave to meet
the fever when it can be avoided, and
if that were " bravery none of us
would care to be brave" AS well
designate rushing into the FIRE by that
The very last men who would
advocate such a cause are those who
here during the last cpl
We don't drink poison if we
can avoid it, neither will we inhale il
II there is any escape.