The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-29
EX-GOv. OATES A REFUGEE.
FORCED TO LEAVE ALABAhA By
THE QUARANTINE
Hls wire and son Also Ordered TO Leave the
state Under Penalty OF 500 Fine-Locked
In n Car and Not Permitted TO Leave
1t Until Outside the Limits OF the state.

Hls vito and sou Also Ordered 10 Leave the
state Under Penalty OF 500 Fine-Locked
In n Car and Not Permitted TO Leave
1t Until Outside the Limits OF the stntc'
wAsuINsroS, Oct. 2s.-Ex.Gov. Oates of
Alabama and his family are temporarily re-
siding in this city, having boon forced by the
quarantine regulations Of Alabama to seek
a retreat beyond the limits OF the state.
''The first case of the fever that appeared in
Montgomery this fall" said Gov. Oates, was
in Ward One, near the river. Other cases tol-
lowed soon. but the local health board, COM
posed entirely OF physicians, for several days
regarded the cases simply as suspicious.
When tho board finally announced mat tho
disease was yellow fever, something akin TO a
panic seized the people, and there was u gen
eral exodus from tho city. OF the 4o.oOo IN
habitants, about equally divided between
whites and blacks, quite $4,000 have lett their
homes and business to escape tho scourse. l
sent Mrs. Oates and our little son TO hor Old
home near Abbcyvillc, in tho southern part
OF Alabama. she was I'VE nilies hioW .no
town and completely isolated, put the Sher,
i'll OF the county, learning that she haa
come from Montgomery. sent n, deputy 10
the house late at night and ordered her to leave
the state instantcr, under penalty OF q line OF
lions, one OF the provisions Of which is that n
person who leaves an Infected place must hoi
stop within the borders Of the state. l iHid
gone to visit some friends in another part OF
the STATE. Mrs. Oates tclcgraphcd me Ia meet
her here. and left AlabarMt tho morning atter
she received the Shcritf's notification. L
boarded a Midland train, and with some other
Montgomery people was locked In u coach ana
we passed through Troy, Ala, one OF my lei
low prisoners raised "A window ana looked OUT.
An officer on the platform ordered him WIN an
oath 10 close the window or he would break
his head with II club which he tiourishe1 threat
".A66ut 400 citizens Of Montgomery went up
into the mountainous country TO Opelika, where,
OWING 10 tn" altitude, there is no danger from
the fever. Gov. tombstone ordered them TO
leave the state in accordance with the quar-
antine regulations, bat they fatty refused to
20. What the uIshot of thi. disohcdicnGe of
the orders of constituted authority may DO |
have no idea. | am incli. od 10 the belief that
our people now regard n national quarantine
law with more favor than they ever have re-
o"pcr,onally, 1 think Congress has, under de-
cisiOns OF the supreme Court, ample authority
to enact such "A law, and it certainly would have
many advantages over the present system,
under which there are frequent clashes between
Federal and local quarantine officers, IN me
time of such an epidemic rs is now aillctlnS
the South, some authority ought, generally 20
be recognized as paramount: and ihasinuch as
an epidemic Of yellow fever or OF cholera al
fccts the entire country, although it may be
confined to ~ few states, that paramount au-
thor.ty, orSht, perhaps, TO DC vested in the
Federal Government
Surgton.G General Walter Wyman OF the
Marine Hospital service is OF opinion that a
carefully drawn national quarantine law ought
sible delay. He agrees with Gov. Oates that
the attitude Of the people south regarding such
"A law has undergone u change. Il am daily in
receipt OF letters and newspapers from tho
South" said he, strongly advocating. the
passage by Congress OF IA genuine national
quarantine measure. The law of 1898 is en-:
TREY INADEQUATE TO meet the renuircnents OF
the country. 1t provides that the Marine Hos
pltal service shall cooperate with and aid state
and municipal Boards Of Health III the cXecu-
tion and enforcement Of the rules and rcgula-
tious OF such boards. and in the execution and
enforcement OF the rul"- and regulations made
by the Secretary of the Treasury TO prevent the
Introduction OF contagious or infectious diseases
into the United states from foreign countries.
but il does not give the Federal Government
paramount authority. Such authority it ought
IN huVp'