The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-27

of smallpox are often concealed. especially
when the disease exists in a mild form
fer fsar that the whole household may be
uuarantined and the wage eaFners lose
their places entirely. Moreover. IN places
where there is no hospital for contagious
diseases many such patients have a we'll
defined and not iiI-foGnaed fear that they
VIII die If turned over to the tender nler-
eies OF thu authorizes. and they prefer to
take the chances and stay in their own
homes.
It is perfectly obvious that there should
be. in every cisy and town of any consid-
cradle size. comfortably appointed build
ing for patients suffering from contagious
disease, and every means should be taken
to alIay the fears OF those Who happen to
live somewhere near this building. There
is 40 mere danger in living next door TO a
case Of smallpox. If It is properly Isolated
and under the care OF a competent phyzi-
clan, than in living near a case of rheanaa-
tism
The unreasoning terror with which
many people regard s,pesthoase" Is an
other reason why cases of contagious dis
eases are often concealed. A year or two
ago. q South Carolina paper reported a
peculiarly irrational exhibition OF this
terror. 4 negro suffering from Smallpox
had been taken to little hat in the mid
die of field in the outskirts of the town.
which had been set apart as pestnouse.
A crowd of people came in the middle OF
the night. set fire TO the hut, fred at the
unhappy patient as he crawied out of 1t.
and after an unsuccessful attempt TO head
him OF, went taek to town. leaving linn
to make off through the high grass TO
some place where ne could be cared for
N secret. Is it to be supposed that the
coiored population OF that town viii re-
port any cases OF smallpox II they can
help it? The burning OF g New Orleans
yellow fever hospital by a mob is another
evidence of this unreasoning fear
1t ought to be possible TO secure fund,
70 be placed at the disposal of municipal
health departments, from which to supply
the needs OF hospital for contagious dis
eases. and also TO reimburse the very
poor for the loss which they may suffer
by complying with the regulations. There
is no reason to suppose that many OF the
applicants for relief could cheat the de-
partment, since Il could be easily ascer-
tanned, by reference to employers. how
much the victims o. quarantine or yacci-
nation really lost ~ complying with the
law. and no one would be allowed TO re-
eeiFe money who was not an actual suf-
ferer by the orders of the board of health.
It is really rather hard for poor people
to Lose their means OF subsistence for the
sake of the general good. The Moqui n
dams doubtless reasoned that II they sac
rifced that wool, they would have to
starve next winter. and their reasoning
was certainly as straight as that of the
army utsactor who served cut poisoned
beef to United States troops for the sake
OF making some extra dollars The prob
lem before the public IS how to prevent
either crime against the general welfare.
Our latest news from ConstaptInople Il
% the effect that the Cramp-Hamid Con
yention has been signed. that the Sultan is
70 have his cruiser and the missionary
brethren their ninety thousand dollars on
the sly. We accept the report with some
reserve. The Cramps may be eonfding
enough to build a vessel for Turkey. but
vessels are not things which pay them
selves out Of shipyards unaided by human
means. We are indeed greatly IN fear that
When the time shall arrive for a cash
show down it viii develop that the unrea-
sonable objection of the Powers TO q SET
Element Of claims against Turkey which
does net include theirs. has rendered pay
ment for cruisers ana Armenian meeting
houses net Gully inexpedient bat altogether
out of the question. Nevertheless. coz
sidered by Itself and strictly on its mer-
its We must concede that the Cramp-
Harid Convention is Alright jewel in
the diadem Of cur splendid diplomacy.
Perhaps Il may be taken as a eommen-
tary upon Great Britain's difficulty in rails
ing troops that force Of Maories has been
enlisted z New Zea1anc and viii shortly
sail FOR South Africa. The British con
science may prick little, but the British
Government has never yet failed TO en-
plCy savages to fight its battles whenever
they happened to be cheaper or handler
than other food for gunp6wder England
did not hesitate to use american Indians
against Us IN our War of Independents,
and it is the most natural thing in the
world for her TO utilize the savages Of New
Zealand against the Beers.
There is another interesting Porto Rican
case for the Federal courts! A dlstin-
guished Porto Rican professor. who has
been Interpreter to the American Commits
SIGN at the Paris Exposition for the past
eight months, is detained at the port Of