The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-11
THE MORNING NEWS: TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER II, 1885,

The Surgeon General and the Epidemic.
The esteemed Times Union, Of Jackson
sonville, is not pleased with the MoRNING
NEWS because it said few words in de
Tense of Surgeon General Hamilton, and
expresses the opinion that the MORNING
! News and other newspapers which have
spoken in his behalf have not taken the
trouble to inquire into his connection with
the fever trouble in Florida
The MORNING NEWS has nothing unkind
to say of the Times Union. 1t is in trouble,
and is making courageous fight under ad-
verse circumstances to give its constituency
a good newspaper every day. Notwith-
standing the difficulties under which it
labors, its pages are as interesting as they
were before the epidemic began. Its
friends, taking into consideration the diff
culties under which it labors, naturally ex-
| pect a little irritation when everything
does u move along smoothly, and are pre-
pared to excuse it.
There may be some facts in Surgeon Gen
eral Hamilton's connection with the Florida
fever trouble of which the MORNING NEWS
knows nothing, but they cannot be very i'm
portant ones. About all there is to be said
for and against him, so far as the Florida
epidemic is concerned, has appeared in the
public prints He has made mistakes, of
course, but who hasn't: 1t will hardly be
denied that he has desired, and still desires,
to do all that he can to aid the suffering
people of Jacksonville. His heart, there
fore, is in the right place.
RIIt II ic cd bat boz
vacillating, and that his refuge camp was,
until lately, very unsatisfactory. 1t is
true that he said the refugees could go out
of the city, and that be withdrew the per
mission. 1t seems, however, that he did
not withdraw it until he became convinced
that no place would receive the refugees,
and that they would be in a worse condition if
they left Jacksonville than if they remained
there. From the very beginning he would
like to have depopulated the city More
than once he said that nothing would give
him more satisfaction Than to see the
stricken city emptied of its entire popula-
ton. But where were the people to go?
That was the problem he has never been
able to solve, and the authorities of Jack
sonville have not been able to solve it.
Camp Perry was not an ideal place of
residence for the first week of its existence,
and it isn't yet, although it is being steadily
improved. 1t must not be forgotten that
the surgeon general hasn't absolute power
nor unlimited means He is restricted by
national laws and state laws, and when the
epidemic was declared, he was not like a
general with an organized army. He had
to get ready for his work, and in getting
ready there were delays and mistakes.
The right men were not always
put in the right place, and
various unforeseen obstacles had to be over
come 1t is wiser to give the surgeon gem
eral all the encouragement possible when it
is evident that he is willing TO do what is
right than to place difficulties in his way.
and thus limit his ability TO do what good
he can. The MORNING News wants to hold
up his hands, as it were. not so much for
his sake as for the sake of the suffering peo-
pie whom he is expected to aid