Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-14
FEAR OF THE SMALLPOX.
GOVERNOR MCDANIEL ISSUES A
PROCLAMATION.

|
Macon, Sumter and Taylor Counties
to be Visited by DIR. Raines-The Penf-
tentiary Sensation-The State Secreta-
ries-Reminiseences in Politics-Other
News from Atlanta.
ATLANTA, May H.-Senators and Rep
resentatives and local officials in Macon,
Sumter and Taylor counties having ap-
pealed to the Governor to issue a procla-
nation for the prevention of the spread
of smallpox in that section, and there
being no warrant in law for such proceed
| ing. Gov. Mcdaniel has sent DR.. Raines
down there to investigate matters, supply
| fresh vaccine virus, and suggest the best
| quarantine arrangements possible for
confining the disease within the locality
where it now exists and preventing an
epidemic.
The Governor feels that the local au-
thorities have full power to act, and it
would not be wise for him to usurp their
duties in the emergency. Feeling deep
sympathy for them, and a profound inter-
est in suppressing the seourge. he offers to
do anything In his power to aid them that
is within the scope of executive author
ity. He has, therefore, issued the following
order, and DR.. Raines leaves on the noon
train:
WHEREAS smallpox has appeared in
the counties of Macon, Sumter and Tay-
lor, and much apprehension is felt by the
people thereof that the disease may spread
and become epidemic; and
WHEREAS. 1t is desired by number of
intelligent citizens of said counties, that
physician OfeXperience in the treatment
OF said disease should be sent thereto; it
is therefore ordered
That Thomas Raines, NJ. D.. be and he
is hereby instructed to proceed at once to
the county of Macon, thence to the other
counties above named, and render such
assistance and counsel to the county au-
thorities thereof in regard to the estab-
lishment of hospitals, quarantine, etc, as
in, his judgment, will be best calculated
to meet the spread of said disease. 1t is
further ordered,
That the said Thomas Raines carry with
him for distribution to the proper authOri-
ties whatever amount of fresh vaccine
matter he may now have on hand.
HENRY d. MCDANIEL,
Governor.
BY the Governor:
}. w. WARREN, Sec. EX. Dept.
THE PENITENTIARY DEPARTMENT.
Already the air is full of rumors Of
partment, and it is well settled that DIR.
L. 5. Ralnes, the physician, will be re-
quested to retire. AS to Capt. j. w.
Nelms, the principal keeper, there is a
strong sentiment in favor of his retire
ment.
THE NEW SECRETARIES.
Governor Mcdaniel has exercised eX-
cellent judgment in the selection of his |
new Secretaries. Judge II. Z. W. Palmer, |
Of Rnrxn 10 of bo I
and most popular young lawyers in the |
State, and will I'LL Colonel Avery's place |
with ability and courtesy. He graduated |
at Emory College, where he married a |
lovely daughter Of Professor Stone, whose |
wife is a daughter of the saInted Bishop |
Capers. AS to Hon. w. III. Harrison, |
familiarly called 'Tip'-because he is a |
''tip-top" good fellow in the best sense of |
that term-it is only necessary to say, |
that he was educated at the United States !
Naval Academy in Annapolis just before |
the late war commenced, and of late |
years has had ripe experience IN clerical |
work Of high order in Congress and the |
Georgia Legislature. He was also men,
Der of the last Constitutional Convention.
No more efficient or accommodating gem
tleman could have been selected.
1t is not yet decided that there will be |
other changes i'll the department, but one
thing can be relied upon-GovernOr McDan-
lei proposes to carry out the sentiment in |
his inaugural, that public officials must be |
held to a strict accountability. If any of |
his department secretaries and clerks |
new or old-fail to properly discharge their !
duties, or guard their personal conduct |
from reprOach, they will at once be request |
ed to retire in favor of more efficient or |
better behaved successors. This test is |
the one from which no deviation VIII be |
made. So far the Governor has not asked |
if an applicant was a BOyntOn, Bacon or |
a Mcdaniel man, or did he support Col |
quit, Stephens, Brown or LawtOn; but |
will he be a gentleman and an efficient |
public servant.
THE RETIRING SECRETARIES.
Yesterday was an exciting period at |
the Executive Department, as the ''ins' |
were every moment expecting to ''gO |
out" while the ''outs' were expecting to |
ego in.' The only immediate changes |
anticipated, however, were the retirement |
of Col. Issac W. Avery, the chief private |
secretary, and Mr.. G.. w. Seidell, who |
was confidential secretary to Governor |
Stephens.
Major j. w. Warren has been so long |
in the department, and has confined him
self so strictly to his official duties. ignOr- |
ing all outside and inside issuesas to candi- |
dates and canvasses, that his retention is |
never called in question when a new Gov
ernOr is inaugurated. Georgia never had |
more modest and faithful official, and !
Governor McDauiel could not supply his |
place with a wOrthier man.
Z Col. John A. Stephens has two strong |
claims upon the office of Adjutant Gen |
eral. He is the nephew and heir of Gov. |
Stephens, and courtesy alone would sug- |
gest his retention. But aside from this, |
Col. Stephens is a gentleman of fine sol |
dierly bearing, untiring energy, and ripe |
experience, and in him the State has an
Adjutant. General who, without any "fuss
and feathers" eleVates and dignifes his |
office, and does the best any man can to |
administer half dead military system.
1t was expected that Mr.. Seidell would /
retire, as he came into the department as t
the confidential scribe Of Governor Steph- |
ems. In him have always found pleas |
ant and efficient public official, one whose |
connection with the clerical force of the |
Legislature had made him expert in his |
duties.
Colonel Avery has had long cOntinu- |
ance in the chief place in the department, |
having retained it under all the reduc- |
tions in salary that cut his pay down to a !
low figure. On this account he was COM |
PEELED to take upon himself outside duties. |
This fact has rendered his long term of |
service less popular than it might other |
wise have been.
No man could have done more than he /
has omplished-perhaps none as much |
of official work. He has been vigilant. |
painstaking and energetic, always de- |
voted heart and hand to the fortunes of his |
superior, and-never hesitating to labor |
earnestly for whatever he thought was for |
the best interest Of the State and the ad- |
minstration. Col. A. retires from office |
leaving behind an impress upon our pub |
lie records such as no one of his success |
sors can show. He has served through a |
critical and exciting, as we'll as labOrious |
period, and doubtless was the best man |
for the peculiar times in which he served. !
SOME INTERESTING FACTS.
Georgia has already had three Gov |
ernors during less than half a term.
Gov. Stephens and Gov. BOyntOn and !
Gov. Mcdaniel. Including Gov. Colquitt, |
whom Gov. Stephens succeeded, we have /
had four Governors within six months.
This recalls the days of Gov. George NJ. |
Troup, who was elected United States |
Senator in 1917, and during the term for
which he was elected there were three
other incumbents of the office. Freeman
Walker, and Nicholas Ware, and John
Forsyth. Ware was subsequently, elected
to full term, but Oliver II. Prince and |
Thomas w. Cobb shared with him in |