The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1900-05-30
NO22
THE SMALL POX,
Gov. Mcsweeney Reviews the
9ituation In The State.

Situation IN The State.
RE OFFERS SUGGESTIONS.
They Are Based-on a Letter f2s.
ceived From One Who Has
Watched Course Of Things
Closely.
In talking Of tho smallpox situation
in the State which has required so
much attention for somo time, Gov.
MoSwecnoy Wednesday said; 3
! II have been very much interested
in tho effort to,satamp,o out smallpox in
this State and all cases reported to mo
have boon promptly referred to DR..
James Evans, secretary Of tho State
board OF health, and by him givon i'm.
mediate attention. In spite Of theso ef-
forts the disease still fingers ia the
State and if not checked or stamped
out may causo much trouble during the
coming fall and winter. I an, afraid
our pooplo do not roalizo the import.
ance and necessity Of vaccination. The
State board Of health has ondeayorod
to Impress tho Importance Of vacoina-
ton as q preventive and has ompha.
sized tho fact that through vaccination
was tho only way to prevent spread
0f Inc ,oclseaso and to stamp 1t cut cf- Z
focctually. And yet wo hayo boon un-
aolo to socuro oomploto vaccination. If
tho managers Of our cotton mills and
the operators could bo made to roalIzo
the Importance to their own oommuui-
ties and to themselves and thor prop.
erty OF vaccination I am sure they
would not neglect it any longer. Com
pulsory vaccination is not only not
popular but tho uso Of foroo is not al
ways the best way to accomplish re-
suits.
I'm fact doubt the wisdom Of "a re-.
sort to force excopt it may be in ex-
tfome cases whore persons pcrsistontly
and stubbornly refuse to submit to
vaccination. My purpose now is to call
tho attention of tho people to tho i'm
portanco OF this matter and to urge
upon them the good judgment in as
sistlng tho suppression Of tho disease
by submitting to vaccination. would
be glad to have the managers of the
cotton mills to call the attention of tho
mill communities to the Importance of
vaccination and I am sure if ia dono
in tho proper spirit thoro will be no re-
distance or objection to vaccination,
School trustees and teaohors and su- S
pcrlntcndents could also aid in this
work by requiring evidence Of tho vac
c!nalion as a requisite for the entrance
OF pupils to the schools. / hope all the
people Of tho StatesWill unite in an ef-a.
fort to stamp outstiio disease. is'ss
some days ago received letter
from Col. j. B. Cleveland Of Spartan
burg on this subjoot which states tho
case very plainly and which rocom-
mend"
The following is Mr.. Clcveland's let
ter roferrcd to by tho governor:
lion. NJ. Is. McSweeney, Governor OF
South Carolina, Columbia, SO:
Dear Sir: I am afraid that tho State
Will havo much trouble during tho fall
and winter with smallpox. There arc
SO many moro centres Of cffcotion now
than there were year ago, and from
what can.loarn, they arc increasing
daily. I'M
| DO not think our pooplo arc edu-
Gated as yet up to tho idoa Of oomnai.
sorry vaccination. There is woeful
lack OF knowledge Of the benefits Of
vaccination. In tho town Of Whitney
IL has been shown oonclusivoly that
vaccination gives perfect immunity
from tho disease. In ono house which
was boarding house, thero were somo
twenty people all Of whom were ex-
posed, seventeen caught tho smallpox.
and the three that did not take it wore
the only ones that were yaccinated.
In tho German cmpiro whore they
nave compulsory vaccination, there are
only. eight dcaths in ten thousand from
smallpox. In England whore they have
not compulsory vaccination, there are
ono hundred and thirty deaths from
smallpox out Of ton thousand. Statis-
tlos taken from official documents in
dermany show as against eight deaths
from smallpox, there arc four hundred
and fifty deaths from typhoid FOYER out
Of ton thousand. 7' ''1
In faot, out Of sixteen different dis.
eases which arc enumerated, the death
rate from smallpox is much lower than
that OF any other disease.
This to my mind is conclusive that
the only way to stamp out tho disease
~ by vaccination. AS have said.
90 not think compulsory vaccination
would bc popular, but thoro is one way
that think it eau bo done and that is
for the trustees Of every public SCHOOL
in the State to lay down tho law chat no /.
child shall be onrollod in the school
unless yascinated, and tho proof Of the
vaccination shall bo we'll defined soar.
think this rule could be enforced and
the result will be that in few years
our ontiro population would bo vacoi-
mated. ~
The making Of suoh rule is not q
hardship; it il simply making the pa.
rents do what thoy should do. e,
The schools for tho fall session will
DO opon in a few months, and if it ia
possible for you, tho State board Of
health or the State commissioner to
take up this matter with tho different
school trustees, and SEQ that such
regulation is mado, it would do moro
to stamp out smallpox in thia State
than any other plan.
| II this matter cannot be handled in
this way, | am going to soc what osri
be dono in tho mill towns about it.
Yours very respectfully, #
John =. Cleveland.
| 55&s l5i u sS,$9
Il n q - 49,