Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-15

Our Correspondent Replies to the
Charges OF UntruthTulness on His
Part, and Asserts That His State
ment Was JustIflable, Judged by
His Surroundings az the Time.

His Surroundings az the Time.
ATLANTA, May l8.-During connection o
some eight years with the MORNING News, a
Atlanta correspondent, Ihave been called upol
to make but two personal explanstions-onC
in regard to the Constitutional Convention
and another about the reception of Presiden
Hayes-in both Of which cases 1 retracteC
nothing, and sustained my positions.
In the first instance l was called ''liar,
and in the latter case a dirty dog" yet sur
vived the abusive attacks, and am alive TO-DAY
to meet charge similar to the first mentioned
and / trust with the same success. as am no
in the habit Of writing hastily or recklessly.
On Tuesday morning last sent the MORNING
NEWS letter, the opening paragraphs o.
which were devoted to smallpox news, ant
which were based upon personal observations,
inquiries or opinions freshIV in my mind that
morning.
Drs Armstrong and Baird, of the Board Of
Health have officially telegraphed you that
paragraph is untrue, and that it is q shame
full libel upon the city and her health authori
ties"
This is very strong language for officials tC
use, and rather tuholesdIe in its character. DR.
Baird is most estimable gentleman, aud s
friend of mine and yet he displays the same
ignorance in regard to my personal surround
ings that he so positively charges upon me as
to the prevalence of smallpox
In reply to the official telegram Of Drs Ba'rC
and Armstrong. whichis so positive and sweep
ing in its statements. 1 have q few facts moi
mere assertions-to offer, and will do so as
briefly as possible. They assert officially thai
this
PARAGRAPH 1. A cold, rainy spell has settled
over us for few days. and everybody looks as
gloomy as the weather. because this suddeT
change has given new impetus to the spread
of smallpox.
Not particle Of evidence has been offered
to prove this paragraph false in any resp ct
but facts in the Constitution OF Tuesday morn
ing sustain its truthfulness.
PARAGRAPH 2. Light canvas tents are moi
very desirable for quarantine purposes in cold
wet weather, and such are the accommoda
tions provided for families and persons who
have been exposed and are now at quarantine
Mayor English says the weather was warmer
when tents were put up, and that there are
some buildings at the quarantine. He claims
that the patients are comfortable, etc. Com
plants from reliable sources and the death
rate out there fatty contradict him. There is
death nearly every severely cold or wet
night-last night and night before included
This morning / write by hot fire. after very
cold night indeed for May.
PARAGRAPH 3. AS predicted in previous let
ters, the foul disease has spread In all dlrec
tionS, and is really epidemic at this time al
though not officially declared so by the Health
Board. The City Council acted upon this idea
last night by adopting the most stringent ordi
nances in regard to the matter.
On Tuesday morning the Constitution made
the announcement that the foul disease had
reappeared and was again spreading The City
Council had met the night before and passed
a stringent compulsory vaccination ordinance
When got down town in the morning found
n6nn1A AYRtfQd
talk among citizens, policemen and sanitary
inspectors was that the disease was really cpl
demic Several citizens told me they were
going to leave the city until the scare was over
PARAGRAPH 4. 1 might I'LL a column with
cases where the health oflcials have acted with
great negligence, and the disease has been
allowed to spread without opposition.
This paragraph admits of discussion, because
the Mayor and health authorities denv, in the
face of a strong public sentiment and the
appeals and criticisms of the Atlanta press
that there has been negligence and careless
ness. l still hold that there has been, and
the matter will be fully ventilated in the courts
in suits for damages against the city.
PARtGRAPH For myself and family have
given up in despair, and settled down to meet
the worst. We now have
Smallpox to the right Of us,
Smallpox to the left of us,
Smallpox to the rear of us,
Smallpox in front Of us.
And six or eight times a day the pest house
ambulance or the city carts carry the disease
bV nv residence. / cannot move without COM
ing in contact with it in some manner.
This paragraph is strictly personal and as
strictly true. and neither DR.. Baird, DIR. Arm
strong nor Mayor English is in a position to
question it's truthfulneSs, The Mayor saws it
is my misfortune to live in such nighborhood.
This, however, does not In any way mitigate
my unfortunate surroundings do not state
that smallpox patients are carried by my
house six or eight times day, but the carts or
a bIIl will mi haT NJ
trips. and get the benefit OF their fullness or
emptiness, all the same.
PARAGRAPH 6. Only last night few doors
from me, and next door to Col. Chas K. Mad
dox. the private secretary OF Senator Joseph
E. Brown. a white family slipped away quietly
and left young man in the house with small
pox.
am called '1iar'' because this case, after
t1Do days of doubtful consideration, was pro-
nounced not to be smallpox On Thursday
morning the head smallpox physician told me
the case was still undecided. The family
slipped or to Conyers, and the mans brother
there was fined, l am told twenty-five dollars
for taking them into his house. And yet, with
these bare facts staring them in the face am
called liar" by the Health Board Of Atlanta.
PARAGRAPH. Thus it is spreading and beiug
spread among the white families of the city,
and not few cases hid out and suppressed
from public attention.
This paragraph is based upon the preceding
one, and upon the statement made to me that
morning by DR.. Fred King, that he knew of two
cases OF white men that we're ibid out" Gould
Ihave asked for better evidence upon which to
base this paragraph
PARAGRAPH s. OF course the disease is more
prevalent among the negroes, and has not taken
foothold in every part Of the city as generally
as in the Fourth ward, yet few days will serve
to develop it throughout the entire city.
l see nothing to alter or retract in this para
graph. While the disease may not now be-
come epidemic, yet with negroes strolline
about with fully developed cases of smallpox
it is safe to elieve that every ward in the city
will have more or less cases.
PARAGRAPH 9. Vaccination is not safe.
guard unless pure virus is used and the vac
cination properly performed. A great deal OF
the vaccination here has been cheaply and in
effectually performed, and now that the
disease is spreading so vigorously the people
are being re-vaccinated in a more effectual
manner.
No man but an escaped lunatic" would at
tempt to modify, much less deny, the state
ments in this paragraph
PARAGRAPH 10. My first vaccination failed,
but am now suffering from a vaccination
sufficiently effective 10 keep of a score of cpl
denies. 1t is next to having the disease itself
Talk about reckless statements. Drs. Baird
and Armstrong assert Officially" that this
paragraph is also he-a cold -blooded and
gross misrepresentation. Could anything be
more absurd and ridiculous?
PARAGRAPH II. AS both white and colored
people, who have been exposed, are leaving
the city, it would be well for the authorities of
mence the work of protection at once Atlanta
waited too long, and now she is suffering In all
her business interests from the fearful spread
of the disease.
In the language Of ConkIing's friend Platt.
this final paragraph exclaims Me toor' But,
is 1t a lie? If so, then the cases of the Atlanta
negroes in other towns and cities are lies, and
have misled me- know. however, that fami-
lies and individuals white and colored, have
left the city, and that the only safety for other
sections of the State is in prompt and general
vaccination reassert that Atlanta waited
too long before she adopted general and
vigorous warfare against the spread of the
foul disease within her borders
/ have thus briefly run over my so-called
lying paragraphs, not one Of which | would
alter were again in the same position cccu.
pled on tuesday morning. It is not my fault
that the people, press, police and sanitary in
spectors were excited over the new outbreak K
OF the disease, and !, with others, was misled
as to the immediate results A small pox
letter written on Tuesday cannot be expected
to ht the condition Of things existing on Fri
day. My much complained Of letter could not
nave been written, with Semblance Of truth
at any other time or under any other circum-
stances since the smallpox appeared here and
stGld boldly and sQuGreIV By the truth of
eUery paragraph.
For myself, as a correspondent have uepeT
advised a quarantine against Atlanta but in
my letter of the 9TH advised strangers not to
keep away from here on account of smallpox
Yet get no credit for all this, and for my per-
sonal efforts to aid in stopping the spread Of
the disease.
1t was Atlanta citizens Of wealth and promi-
nence who prevented the meeting here next
week Of the General Assembly Of the Southern
PTesby terian Church, and tho meeting was
changed to Columbus on account of smallpox
And yet, on yesterday the Board Of Health
telegraph the Wise Men, that they can meet
here. When my letter was written it was NOT
safe for the General Assembly to come here
but on the day / am called a "lisr 3
and most shamefully assailed as corespon-
dent. it is considered safe for the wise Mem.
to meet here. Am Ian humble citinen-re.
sponsibIe for this most remarkable change OF