The age-herald., 1897-11-09
AS OTHERS siE MONTGOMERY.
A Gentle Scathing of the Would-Be Rulers
 Of the Universe.

From the WashfEB1On 1oSt
 One of the ugl1est features of the yell
 low fever scare at the south-and ugly
 features have been aibunidant-is the war
 of abuse and persecution now W'aged
 against Gov. Johnston of Alabama. Gov.
 Johneitons offense co- slists in having re-
 moved the office of the state government
 from Montgomery to Birmingham when
 the yellow fever broke out in the former
 city, but to hear his critics and accusers,
 led by the Montgomery Advertiser, ons
 might be pardoned for infering that he
 has committed every crime in the cat-
 alogue of infamy. He is denounced, fed-
 iculei. arathematized, called a coward,
 a traitor a deserter, upbraided, iam-
 peondd and implicated until one asks
 himself in terrified amazement whether
 such a monster ever ibuIdened this eartn before.
 or course. to those who have kept au
 courant with Alabama politics and Kno"
 how bitterly the Montgomery AaVert.Ser opposed MT. Johnstgn's nomination. ahi
 resented his election, the explanation or this furious outburst is simple enough. They penceive without any great enoru that the move to Birmingham is only pretext. and that all the venomous abuse now favished upon the governor does not relate to the alleged offense, but IS inspired simple by factional hatred or song standing. Tine country at large however which f1as observed with Woh- der and disgust the behavior or Mohl- gon=ry during the past ten Weeks' IS consumed with curiosity as to such Vio- aent and vituperatfve critlcsm' Mohl- es,merv was bad enough to live in be- fore the disease made It's appeaIan,Se ,,,e there The authorities hemmed III Vhe city with such feroctous quaranilhe a' to ,nra ctlFcallly isolate 1t from the out side world and to make the ttahsae tion of business save within rune iitniue l ipal limits utterly inposStple' Irafrs .s from the south were not allowed to sUop. Ever the windows of the cars passing through the town at a rapld raNe ae weae kept hermehcally sealed. The peoPio were so frightened, if we may Juoee from their actions, as to make dnenl ii- III | capable of any intelligent ana rsasonapie conduct and Montgomery became tiie | hode of chaos rather than the tneater l of civilized aIctivity. But all thls was as l nofhbncy to the carnival Of panic mat broke loose when the first case or yelow | fever was announced. what ilao osen noera case of hysteria before then be- came a bowling. screaming pandemoh- ium. Rome on the night or Nerols con- fiagration must have been a spectacie of orderly delibera tion compared W1th IL. Men. women and cnIruTen lleu III oAiSO frollable terror. Fifteen hundred escapeu within a dozen hours. Train after tram was sent there and then hurrled away uacked to suffocation with wffd-eyed rug, itfves If the city had been threateneo with the irruptien of a savage foe, ana rapine, butchsry, fire and the sWord hao been their certain fate, they couIo no. have been more hopelessly unmanheo end less amenaible to reason.
 We should like to ask cne or Gov. | Iohnstonfs accusers, if indeed there De one capable of dispassianate Judgment; whether he thinks the governor Wou4u have bean warranted in trying to trans act the public business under sucn ex- ,traordinary circumstances. Even sup nosing it was right to subject the state officials and their various subord1naNes to The danger of conta zion, coubd ne have counted upon a precise and accur- a te and clear-headed performance of the delicate dlrtieis committed to hIs care py nenfc- stricken officials coopei up In nandic-stricken city? lit seams to us that Gov Johnston acted for the pest in temporarily transferring the office or his government Ito an atmosphere or conon1on sense and rational compol5ure He did not make the frantic terror which possessed Montgomery and rem dered it unfit for the processes or clvll- iza+ion. Why should he sacr1hce the pubaic interests and trif1e With his oth- tcial responsibilities by subJecting the affairs of state ito such barbaric ana insensate influences?