The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-02
spokane.s Misfortune.


city in size and Importance In the state
OF Washington. Evil reports. rejecting
upon its credit. its improvements and
the condition of the public health have
been sent out for weeks past to all parts
of the country and scattered diligently
through the territory tributary to II.
Recent advices from the city declare
that the people are incensed and almost
discouraged at the continued assaults
upon its Industries, its prosperity and
its reputation. The truth about 1t is,
Spokane itself; for its people have no
medium through which to make public
the facts. no defence against their
venal, malicious and merciless assail
ant. Their misfortune exemplifies the
boundless power for evil possessed by
newspaper when IT chooses to prostitute
to cast to the winds every scruple that
restraints even the least worthy expon-
ents of modern Journalism.
The trouble is essentially a personal
one. Some months ago cases of small
pox began to appear in different parts
OF the country. especially in the west
ern states. The germs of the disease
are supposed to have been brought back
from the Philippines in the luggage Of
the soldiers. and they were thus wide
~ disseminated 1t appeared on the
! Sound, 1t has been epidemic in Mon
tana and Idaho cities. and there were
number of cases in Spokane. The
demand upon the health officer that
he report to 1t for publication daily
every case Of any contagious disease
occurring in the city. This he properly
declined to do. and was supported by
the mayor in his position From that
mcment crusade against the admin
istration began to which the interests
of the city and respect for truth were
sacrificed with equal recklessness.
The Spokesman Review declared. day
after day. with unwearied pertinaclty
and incomprehensible malignity. that
Spokane was In the clutches OF dan
gerous smallpox epidemic. 1t asserted
that the city officials were banded to-
gether to conceal the truth; that their
policy was spreading the disease, and
II so wrought upon the public mind that
paralysis fell for time upon the
trade and business interests of the city.
The consideration for stopping this
| crimiral warfare was the dismissal OF
the health officer and the acknowledge
ment of the editor of the newspaper as
supreme boss and high mogui OF the
| city and its government. Failing this
the assault continued with an ingenuity
Of virulence seldom equaled in the
! newspaper world.
The people of Spokane were naturally
stirred profoundly by this outrage. The
actual state of the facts admits OF no
| discussion. for the mortuary records OF
| Spokane show just two deaths from
smallpox in the whole period There
| We're several cases there as in other
| cities but the disease was Of the mild
est type, 1t was efficiently handled. and
| Spokane was in no worse case and its
| citizens In no more danger than those
! of any other city in the state. Yet for
/ weeks IL was represented by the Spokes-
| man Review that there was a terrible
epidemic whose ravages were concealed
by ofiicialdom. until travellers stunned
Spokane. business almost ceased and
quarantine against the unfortunate city
was widely agitated
The feeling against the paper became
so intense that II sought to make a
feeble attempt TO Justify or palliste its
offence. At public meeting called 10
, consider the situation. Mr. Durham ap-
peared 70 state the newspaper side az
the case and present resolutions of CEN
sure upon the municipal authorities
seldom II ever has any man holding
such position been so received in his
| own community II was only upon the
Plea of those whom he had maligned
that the Indignant audience permitted
him any hearing He was booted and
Kissed denounced as only such an
offence could warrant by his own
| tcwnspeople. and resolutions were
adopted approving in the strongest
terms the course pursued by the local
authorities.
This particular eporsnity has been ter
minated by virtual agreement 81 rer-
chants 10 withdraw their business alto
gether from the newspaper unless IL
ceased its Misrepresentation OF the
public health. and BY the terrific public
rebgke TO which net even men capable
of STOPPING to such courses could be an