Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-30
A SMALLPOX SCARE
That With Which Davenport
Seems to Be Unnecessar-
lily Afflicted.
THE PRESS ASKED TO BE QUIET
Unfortunate Developments Ag-
gravate the Situation
in Sister City.

AS if in retribution, almost, the
Davenport press, which has been so
lately given to gloating over the prev
alence of sickness in Rock Island
this city having without murmur
shared the lot of nearly every locality
in the United States during the weeks
that have followed the period of I'M
seasonable weather-is now confront.
ed with staggering proposition. The
papers on the Iowa side are asked to
enter into an agreement to suppress.
or at least to minimize the smallpox
situation there. Here is the petition
which has been prepared by business
men and other citizens there and of
which the unanimous Endorsement of
the press is invited:
I'VE, the undersigned newspaper
publishers, agree to comply with the
request of the business men regard
ing the unnecessary publication of
smallpox matter, providing all news
papers in the city agree to do the
same
Press In Predicament.
The newspapers of Davenport are
reluctant about discussing this some
what novel procedure. Some say
they have agreed to it, others that
they know mo- hing of it, and still
others are disposed to suppress the
petition and 90 about their business.
In any case those responsible for
the suggestion to the press fail to
comprehend the spirit and tendency
of mankind if they imagine that the
denial to the people of the informa-
ton they are entitled to will allay
public anxiety or alarm. There is
nothing that so misleads as deception
and concealment. The public has a
right to know that which interests it
and pertains to is welfare, and the
mission of the press is to provide
the information to which the
public is Justly entitled. Safety in
any situation or emergency lies in
making the truth known, and nothing
will work greater injury to Davenport
than the gaining of the impression that
the actual conditions prevailing there
are being suppressed.
Unnecessary Alarm.
Davenport seems unduly alarmed
in the present instance, and has taken
the timely warning of DR.. E. S. Bow
man, the county physician. altogether
too seriously. The doctor in q public
statement says: The county au-
thorities expect to have to pay some
big quarantine hills this winter and
spring. and 1 anticipate that there
will be large mum Der of cases.
Davenport is about the most promis-
ing field for smallpox to work in that
know of. for the reason that there
has been no general vaccination for
15 or 20 years. Some of those per-
sons who do not believe in vaccina-
ton or are indifferent to il are apt to
learn something in the neyt few
weeks" The Scott county authorities
the county physician, to vaccinate any
person who is too poor to pay for the
vaccination.
Vaccination BY Wholesale.
A novel scene was presented at
school No. 1, in Davenport, where
the cases have been discovered so far,
yesterday. when 20 pupils, each
armed with permit from his parent
to be vaccinated without cost to the
latter, took their places in line. and,
with left arms barred, passed by DR..
G. H. Preston, the city physician,
who used the vaccine points as rap
idly as was consistent with careful
and thorough work. Later in the
day an even longer line of children
submitted to the same treatment at
the DOCTORS hands, and found the ex-
perience not by any means as terri
flying as they had anticipated. Other
pupils, who did not take places in
either of these lines, had been vac
cinated by their family physicians.
Another case is reported today,
making the fourth to date. The new
one is that of Thomas lies. IL years of
age and pupil at the No. 1 school.
The Right Spirit.
There is no disposition in Rock Is
land to reciprocate the unkind and
unneighborly spirit that has been so
recently exhibited in Davenport to-
ward this city. As IN the case with
the individual, no town knows when
it may be afflicted, and when the time
of trial comes, the true spirit of hui
mainly is shown in bearing bravely
the ordeal and not in seeking conceal
ment from the world.
His wife Saved Him.