The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-02
THE DREAD OF EPIDENtCs.


The Philadelphia Ledger thinks that the
Southern people show themselves guilty Of
moral coward!oe when they exhibit al
mos. an insane dread OF contagious dis
eases" and fall into condition OF panic
at the threatened approach Of an epidemic.
Other papers. North and South. have in
[ the past INDUCED in like criticism at our
/ expense.
/ Our Philadelphia contemporary admits
that it would be rash to accuse the South
/ OF a lack OF physical courage The South
ern people fought too bravely, it says. in .
the war between the States to be char
acterlzed as towards. bu. it draws the .
distinction between physical and moral
courage and concludes that while the
Soujherners have shown themselves
abundantly equipped with the former they
are continually giving evidence OF want
Of the latter" AS an illustration OF its
point the Ledger says that while they
1he Southern people-''did not hesitate to
send their sons to Cuba and Porto Rico
they objected very strongly to letting them
} return homo with any possible danger OF
! infection about them.
Is IT not possible to discern in this very
r illustration cited that it is not oowardce
a in any sense, but wise precauton simply
s that impels the Southern people to flee
= from the plague or adopt the most strin-
h gent measures against its introduction?
j. The same young men who went bravely
e TO face the plague, possibly, in Cuba
n would in a majority Of cases have fed
e from It at home. There was neither ply
}. ecal nor moral cowardlce in their case
n as soldiers, nor would there have been
st in tho o,her ease.
al Where there Is a fearless discharge OF
f duty. whatever the consequences, there is
"a. no cowardica, When duty does not call,
st discretion the giving away to the instinct
IN of seIf-preservation, IS not cowardice in
IL, any sense The Southern people never
fear as a people to do their duty. When
IS. the epidemic is once upon Southern
ne community when discretion eatr- n
of longer be exercised without exhibiting
he moral cowardice there are to be found no
M once but generally the sublimest display
AT If moral courage that were ever seen any
ri where.
ty puty does not call upon the people
when an epidemic threatens, to remaiI
to to wage foolhardy fight against silent
'e- iny.nciblo and relentless foe. 1t is
IL supernatural enemy in sight and the in
Die stinct to escape It is no mora mora
we coward ce" than the instinct that teache
a. US to avoid, II we can, the thunderbolt, o
u. to escape from a burning dwelling Th
Inc Ledger's theory reduced to its legitimat
to- conclusions would make any resort to self
H. preservation an exhibition Of mora
ties oowardicc,
the The haste. the almost insane dread,
the the condition of panic, arise simply fro
er. the peculiar character Of the danger, CON
,le ing as It does too often with the suddeT
sis ness Of storm and leaving no time IL
to rejection or defense
1t is easy enough for those who have n
passed through the horrors OF yello
N fever epidemic to twit those who H.
while they can from such dangers, wi
gu "cowardice." But " they knew the col
q" ditions sought to he avoided and that
the nearly every case of flight It is taken I
Oh the preservation OF ones family rath
lon than for ones self and that 1t is enoou
sun aged by the authorities in order to d
ie'l- crease the fuel upon which the fame CT
'S"' play--they might he willing to adm
that It IS n sense OF duty oftener than
ught 49, g., tho Sarso -, .cowardice - NOR
,arty - rhys,oaI ,ho+ ,eods thousands "a a
TINS from pestilence, Only a people steep
ioNS' in superstition or Ignorance would
1890 otherwise. NJ is only when those q
isaih whose duty It is to stay that the charge
ito is cowara,co CON no Justly made
6 for -