The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1898-06-18
A SOUTHERN OUT RAGE.

rises to Imam and loudly protests agansts thu
nefarious action OF a set of professional men
who, under the disguise of protecting the healtl
Of people from contagion, have fastened upon
Mississippi a netting of laws worthy OF barbar
ism. We refer to the course pursued by Tho
tho board of health In Louisiana and Mississippi
| with respect 20 the reoent outbreak OF yellow
fever in MoIIenry. The conduct of these two
boards In dealing with this yellow phantom de-
| serves to be made known TO the world, that pub.
llc opinion may direct It's attacks against the
! perpetrators of this outrage.
Last year, during similar pestilenoe, New
Orleans with seeming indlguitloA, decried and
hooted the "sh)t gun" quarantine prevailing in
Mississippi. Just recently, representatives OF the
Louisiana board of health, armed with deadly
weapons, dared express their authority by having
recourse to carbines in order to prevent land
ing of helpless, innocent boys. These savage
officers had all the desperate looks OF bandits
and evidently, their faces voiced their determi-
nation. just little constituency, 80 powerB that
bel However, this single act, pales into insigni-
ncance when contrasted with previous action of
the same Board Of Health.
Last Thursday week. at dead OF night, without
a moments warming, whole community, count
dencc with vigorous health, was suddenly cut
OF by the all-powerful Nat OF handful OF men.
Those nftythousand people are absolutely de-
dent upon New Orleans for supplies. They are
not Of the wealthy sort either, and have little
wherewith to feast, much less TO live upon.
The financial loss entaled by this vicious quar-
antine Is simply lmmoasurabe The vast and
varied Industries OF Bay ST. Louis, Pass Chris
tian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Mississlppi City,
Handsboro, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoua
Scranton, and Moss Point are ruined by this
high-handed method of dealing with the fever.
Yet with unspealable boldness, cold, heartless
men whom no cry OF woe can move, band togeth-
or under thehypocrlte's cloak, and with meas
ured tread, throw the whole southern coast Of
Mississippi in the shackles of rigid quarantine
This section Of Mississippi, we repeat, will suf-
fer untold misery for the want OF the very es-
| sentlas OF life. New Orleans, hold under the
powerful heel Of the almighty dollar, refuses, af-
ter full knowledge OF the disastrous effect of
her action, 70 slacken her regulations. We win
not mention tho hard and cruel lot, reserved for
the numerous poor people next fall. Verify
love- thou art lied TO brutish beasts, and men have
lost their reason. We had rather be the sons OF
darker ages than repute ourselves SONS Of free
men under these hard conditions.
Proud, naughty New Orleans blazes It's vaunt-
cd spirit of benrvolenoo and humanity; yot when
occasions arise, that test tho stuff which
makes people, the Queen City OF this fair
Southland, harnesses with deadly grip, the full
force Of her quarantine regulations. Our COM
mercial interests are too great and too vital 30
our welfare TO pass unnotloed the action OF New
Orleans. Schools, colleges factories, mills, and
other Industries must now bear an immense loss
simply because the coast Ia suspected.
Those guilty Of such foul outrage and gross
injustice have not the'slighest justification for
their actionl We make bold 10 declare that
/ both Mississippi and Louisiana stand convicted
OF cruelty In Its most aggravated form. No one
can blame or object TO the authorities of corpo-
ration In taking measures against an infected
place. But the President OF the Board OF Health
in New Orleans declared above his own name
that, while he deemed general quarantine nee
essary against all places contiguous to McHenry
he would raise the quaratine after an inyestiga-
ton.
We append tho official report OF DR.. Mo-
ton, an expert sent by Or. Souchon to the Mlssls
sippi coast. After visiting Bay st. Louis DR..
Mloton wired Souchon
feet"
In the face OF this report, DR.. Souchon and his
medical tribe, with remarkable persistenoy vi
goronsly hold the quarantine intact, and have de-
cided 70 make the existing quarantine regulations
permanent, Who can blame q community for
using desperate methods when Board OF Health
is so lost 10 reason and Justice as to perpetrate
such a crime2
In the name OF humanity now flercely and boldly
dened; in the name OF an enlightened civilization
so ruthlessly shocked; In the name of the grand
and glorious reputation OF Southern philanthropy
we here enter our most solemn protest against
the Boards of Health In Louisiana and Mississippi
We wish this protest TO ring with no uncertain
sound.
The Mississippi authorities, and particularly
those OF Louisiana, do not and cannot, with any
regard for yeracity and honor, maintain their po-
stion. Sordid gain, filthy luore, the gods OF
rogues, animate the authorities, and give them
their base for action. 1t " New Orleans that we
consider the most guilty. There are resorts
near New Orleans that need patronage. Dr.
Souchon lives in one OF these villas, and owns a
hotel there, 80 It Is said; hence quarantine.
Truth will out" above I'll, when rogues and
thieves ply their trade too freely.
Wofail 10 see how Now Orleans can boast (as
an evening shoet OF New Orleans did In It's Wed
nesday's edition. OF its health and perfect system
OF sanitation. We should smile
The streets of that clean ~ city are charged
with the foulest odors from January to Decem-
Der. The cutters are coated with thick green
crust throughout the year. Some OF the New
Orleans doctors have declared that the yellow,
fever has been In New Orleans all winter, ana
that deaths from the same disease has occurred
| since March. Any conscientious man must ad-
NIT that IL yellow fever breaks out In the south
! the soi-disant clean city, New Orleans, can not
escape infection.
The entire country knows the record made by
the Board Of Health OF Louisiana during the las,
epidemic, and how members OF that defunct In
stitution stood In bad odor. Can we believe that
the present one under Souchon represents any
thing better2 Louisiana is now flooded with O
horde OF half-wits plying their trades under the
title OF an M. D.
Let us now look at this quarantine from legal
point OF view. The al-powerful board in New
Orleans now dons the authority OF dictators, be-
lievlng no power can over rule their ediots. The
constitution OF the United States and that OF each
separate state, guarantee TO all citizens liberty
and the protection Of their property. The gall
Ing yoke fastened upon US by this iron-clad quar-
antine Is in clear violation OF these rights. The
sacred privileges OF American citizenship are de-
Ned and counted rs nanght. Has It come to this
that we may move and act only when seven OF
eight drum-heads bow their consent2 Today our
property is at their mercy Our families win be
separated IL those few men who direct the Louis
lana Board Of Health simply say so. The med
ical profession Is disgraced by these upstairs
Institutions such as the Board Of Health In New
Orleans cannot thrive on American soil.
DO the members OF the Health Board violate any
other lawp Unquestionablv. The interstate COM
meroe laws are interfered with; and, in meas
nra. the IInitnd GtnLna e..