The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-03-13
Unjust Structures Upon A Justifi-
able Quarantine.

difference if they premise not even
to raise a window Of the sleeper
while it is waiting for the Texas
and Pacific train, let alone leaving
the car.
Four gentlemen wished to leave
on last nights train for points be-
you'd Alexandria, but they were
Informed that they would not be
allowed to pass through. Rather
than run the risk of getting into
trouble they deferred their jour
ney.- Evening News, March 9th.
The authorities of the town of
Alexandria should be treated to a
dose Of United States law. They
have gone beyond all reason in
fool quarantine Evening News,
March 9th.
Alexandria has been watching
Monroe with jealous eyes for some
two or three years, and since the
outbreak Of smallpox here, her
authorities have shown how pig
headed they can be- Evening
News, March 18th.
Onr board of health, being un-
able to receive anything but
evasive replies to the direct ques-
tion, from the authorities at Alex.
andria, have referred the matter
to Monroe's attorneys, and they
are taking the necessary steps to
secure our civil rights i'll the
United States civil court, befole
Judge Boarman, and it is to be
hoped that the authorities of Alex
andria may be forced to pay for a
profitable lesson, and shown that
they have not the rights and pre-
negatives of crowned heads in this
free land. - Evening News,
March 7th.
The authorities of Alexandria
are not at all alarmed as to any re-
mote contingency necessitating
the interposition of the United
States Courts. Every community
is invested with the inherent right,
even at the expense Of other com.
munities, in cases Of emergency,
to protect itself against the impOr.
tstion into its midst, of any conta-
gious or infectious disease. This
may even be done "a ct arms and
the Courts will not interpose to
prevent it, even granting that they
had jurisdiction, which is net ad.
mitted.
The right to repel, even by force,
if necessary, the introduction and
spread of contagion, may be as
simulated somewhat to the right to
declare martial law and suspend
the writ Of h be1s corpus, in cases
of instruction against the civil
authorities too powerful to be sup.
pressed by ordinary process. The
end to be subserved justlfies the
means employed.
We are unable to perceive Just
why the health authorities, news.
papers and people of Monroe
should condemn in such unmeas.
ured terms, the institution of d
rigid quarantine against that IN
.teeted city by Alexandria, when ii
is q notorious facts that fully
twenty other towns and communi
ties have awaited themselves o.
this natural right of man, if there
is amy force, virtue or efficacy III
the ancient legal maxim, that "self
preservation is the first law OF
nature"
While the people of Alexandra
regret the memorable necessity
which compelled the institution OF
a quarantine against the people OF
our sister city of Monroe, with
whom we have always preserved
the most amicable social and bust
ness relations, yet they unanimous
ly endorse the eminently wise action
Of their health authorities in es
tabllshing it and will sustain them
i'll continuing and enforcing it,
until all danger of infection has
passed, without any regard wha.
ever to the implied threat of resort
to the United States Courts.
The health authorities of Mon.
roe slgnaliy failed III their an,
nounced purpose to coufiue the
disease to the Key House. 1t is
well known that there have been
three other infected places, with
two deaths out of five cases.
Hence, it should create no sur.
prise that the people Of Alexan
dlia lost all confidence in the abil
ity OF the Monroe health authorities