The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-30
THE SMALL P0X.
Gov. McSweeney Reviews the
Situation in the State.
HE OFFERS SUGGESTIONS.
They Are Based on a Letter Re-
caiyed From One Who Has
Watched Course Of Things

caiyed From One Who Has
Watched Course of Things
Closely.
In talking Of the smallpox situation
in the State which has required 80
much attention for some time, Gov.
McS9eeney Wednesday said:
''I have been very much interested
in the effort to stamp out smallpox IN
This State and all cases reported to me
have been promptly referred to Dr..
James Evans. secretary OF the State
board OF health, and by him given i'm
mediate attention. In spite Of these ef-
forts the disease still fingers IN the
State and if not checked or stamped
out may cause much trouble during the
coming fall and winter. | AM afraid
our people do not realize the import
aace and necessity Of vaccination. The
State board of health has endeavoreo
to impress the importance Of vacclna-
tioa as preventive and has eDpha-
sized the fact that through vaccination
was the only way to prevent spread
of the disease and to stamp it out ei-
fcctually. And yet We have been un.
able to secure complete vaccination. II
the managers Of our cotton mills and
the operators could be made to realize
the importance to their own communi-
ties and to themselves and their prop
ersy Of vaccination I am sure they
would not neglect it any longer. Com
puisory vaccination is not only not
popular but the use Of force is not al
ways the best way to accomplish re-
suits.
In fact I doubt the wisdom Of a re-
sort to force except it may be in ex-
trene cases where persons persistently
and stuobornly refuse to submit to
vaccination. Ny purpose now is to call
the attention Of the people to the I'M
portance Of this matter and to urge
upon them the good judgment in as
sistipg the suppression of the disease
by su 0mitting to vaccination. wc1ld
be glad to have the managers Of the
cotton mills to call the attention of the
mill communities to the in portance OF
vaccination and | am sure if it IS doHe
in the proper spirit there will be no re-
sistance or objection to vaccination.
School trustees and teachers and su-
perintendents could also aid in this
work by requiring evidence Of the vac
cination as requisite for the entrance
of pupils to the schools. / hope ali the
people of the State will unite in an ef-
fort to stamp out the disease.
Some days ago | received letter
from Col. j. B. Cleveland Of Spartan
burg on this subject which states the
case very plainly and which 1 recon-
mend"
The following is Mr.. Cleveland's let
ter referred to by the governor:
Hon. NJ. B. McSweeney, Governor OF
South Carolina, Columbia, S. G.:
Dear Sir: l am afraid that the State
will have much trouble during the fall
and winter with smallpox. There are
so many more centres Of election now
than there were a year ago, and from
what I can learn, they are increasing
daily.
I do not think our people are edu-
Gated as yet up to the idea OF conpul.
sorry vaccination. There is q Woeful
lack of knowledge of the benefits OF
vaccination. Ia the town of Whitney
it has been shown couclusively that
vaccination gives perfect immunity
from the disease. In one house which
was boarding house, there were some
twenty people all of whom were ex-
posed, seventeen caught the smallpox,
and the three that did not take it we're
the only ones that were vacciuated.
In the German empire where they
have compulsory vaccination, there are
only eight deaths in ten thousand from
smallpox. Ia England where they have
not compulsory vaccination. there are
one hundred and thirty deaths from
smallpox out Of ten thousand. Stats
tics taken from official documents in
Germany show as against eight deaths
from smallpox, there are four hundred
and fifty deaths from typhoid fever out
CT ten thousand.
in fact, out Of sixteen different dis
eases which are emu unerated. the death
rate from smallpox is much lower than
that of a0v other disease
This to my mind is conclusive that
the only way to stamp out the disease
is by vaccination. AS I have said, I
do not think compulsory vaccination
would be popular, but there is one way
that | think it can be done and that IS
for the trustees Of every public school
in the State to lay down the Law that no
child shall be enrolled in the school
ua.ess "a a,cinated, and the proof OF the
vaccination shall be we'll defined scar.
thiok this rule could be enforced and
the result will be that in few years
our entire population would be vacci-
mated.
The making of such rule is not
hardship; it IS simply making the pa
rents do what they should do.
The schools for the fall session will
be open in few months, aud if it IS
possible for you, the State board OF
health or the State commissioner 10
take up this matter with the different
school trustees, and see that such
regulation is made, it would do more
to stamp out smallpox IN this State
than any other plan.
If this matter cannot be handled in
this way, l sm going to see what can
he done in the mill towns about 1t.