Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-10
THE Observation-Disclosures LIE.

A representative of the Topeka Com
monwealth "a member Of its editorial
staff was in Wichita for few hours last
Friday-whether ON casual business
visit, or for the specific purpose, it is
now no difference-and while here sent
the following statement to that paper by
wire:
WICHITA. Kan, Jan. 6.-TSpecia1 1.-The
smallpox has broken out in this city ~
a very violent form So far there has been
one death, and it is estimated that there
are about seyenty-five cases in the CITY at
the present time, 1t is believed that this
is renewal of che disease which occurred
here some years ago, and which almost en-
tirely depopulated the city
The sender of this dispatch Knew he
was telling lie when he wrote it, for in
answer to inquiries concerning the mat
ter he was informed of the true condi-
ton by gentleman in position to know
it. and remarked it was "a good oppor-
tunity to give Wichita black eye, and
he intended to do it." This announce
ment betrays the animus Of the man
who made it. and Of the management OF
the paper that published the dispatch.
Anything to damage Wichita is the IN
spiration.. the stock in trade of the
Bakery outfit. For newspaper that
s5ubsists largely upon the public crib to
descend so low as to traduce and malign
a community within the state because,
forsooth. such community transcends its
own and all the rest in points of popula-
ton. wealth, business and general pro-
gressiveness as Wichita has done and Is
still dong; we say for a paper of the
Commonwealth position and standing
to engage in such acts is contemplate
and must be extremely diguSting to fair
minded people everywhere.
For the benefit OF the Commonwealth
whether it wants the truth or not
any others who may be Of its way
OF thinning and feeling. we viii
state, and we call upon that paper and
any others that may have echoed its
falsehood to publish it, that there has
been reported to the mayor within the
past six weeks four cases of smallpox,
one OF the victims of which brought it to
the city and died and four cases Of vario-
loid. all OF which have recovered or are
convalescent.
The statement that there are
seventy-fve cases in the city
at this time is malicious fabrication,
but is as near the truth as the other
statement that the city came near being
depopulated several years ago by the
ravages Of the disease.
The fact is the matter has been re-
garded by those of our own people who
have known of the existence of the
disease, just as they would and do
measles, whooping cough, chickenpox,
humps, etc, any one of which occa-
sionalIy proves fatal: and it is because SO
little concern is felt for it that nothing
has been said about it by the EAGLE. and
we presl.me the other papers of the city
have said nothing for the came
reason: certainly not from any desire to
prevent its becoming known away from
here that the disease existed here. There
are too many visitors to Wichita, even of
the sort of the Commonwealth smart
Aleck. to keep matter so momentous
as the aforesaid S. A.-more properly
ass-would have the world believe eX :
listed here. a secret where we ever so
anxious to do so.
If the Commonwealth Smelling com
mittee of one had stated the facts of the
case nobody here would have paid any
attention to it: but when he makes such
wholesale falsifications as that quoted
above for the sole purpose of injuring
our CITY, as in this case, we cannot re-
frain from replying and denouncin g
them as unmitigated 1ies
s.