New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-05-31


sease are present they are liable to be-
come infected when such germs of di-.
sease are inhaled. ~
The adoption of this measure met with
considerable opposition on the part cf
one Lutheran congregation in the city,
who held that the prohibition of the gath
ering of people in public places of wor-
ship, during an epidemic of contagious
disease, was an unjust measure. That it
met with the approval of the other de-
nominations, is hardly necessary to re-
mark.
A member of the faculty of the Lu-
theran Theological Seminary, apparently
we'll versed in bacteriology, and still
better in the science Of law, an6, aside
from conscientiously attending to the du-
ties OF his professorship, finding ample
time to edit local German newspaper
looked up the Constitution of the United
States, and found in Article I of the
amendments thereto ''That Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment
OF religion, or prohibiting the free exer-
else thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech or Of the press, or the right of the
people to peaceably assemble, and to pc
tltlOn the government for redress of
grieyances.'
On the ground that this measure was
conflicting with the Constitution of the
United States, in SO far as it was infringe
Ing upon their religious liberty: and adj
vocating at the same time that places of
Worship be kept open for public prayer.
especially during an epidemic, the Board
of Health was publicly attacked by the
newspaper edited by this professor and
requested morally and legally to revoke
at once that part of the regulation, threat
ening at the same time to call mass
meeting (during the general quarantine)
to protest against such measure in case
the request Was not Immediately COM
piled with.
Further, the congregation had decided,
in meeting, held for that purpose, to
oppose this measure on the same grounds
as mentioned in the above newspaper.
Further, in the official organ of the
Synod, they published an article in
which they appealed to I'LL congregations
in the Synod to instruct the legislators
Of their respective districts to use their
influence III modifying the authority of
all Boards of Health, in so far AS the
closing Of churches during an epidemic
was concerned.
In short the arguments contained in
these articles against the action of the
Board Of Health were totally unworthy
Of an enlightened Christian community.
Three days after the attack on theBoard
Of Health the pastor of the above men,
toned congregation gave the Health
Officer official notice that the congrega-
ton had decided not to obey the order,
and wanted the constitutionality of the
same tested.
At the last moment, they judicous-
ly yielded under protest,
That the measures taken by the Board
were judicious in every respect, is shown
by the following result: The week pre-
vlous to the passing Of these regulations
twenty one families were attacked, and
the disease was spreading atan alarming
ratio, whereas. during the ten days after
passing the same, only three were re-.
ported.
This result shows that our measures in
controlling the epidemic, were justified,
and l will leave it to an intelligent pub
lie to decide as to who is deserving of
the most credit, he, who, with all godly
means at his command, has spared so
many families from the care, anxiety, and
loss of life, caused by this dread disease
or he that has rendered the already la
borious task still more difficult by an
untimely and exaggerated sense of duty.
After sixteen days the epidemic was
fully brought uoder control, and the
general quarantine was revoked e..
During the next four months, from
December End to April End, only forty
two families were added to the file, MAX
ing a total of one hundred and four (1O4)
families that were afflicted since the be-
ginning Of the epidemic.
Another task left for the Health Offic-
er to accomplish was the disinfection of
this large number ofhouses, and the car
rying out of this task caused no little
trouble, and at the same time not little