The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-29
KENTUCkY,s QUARANTINE.

Governor Durbin, fully informed regard
ing the smallpox situation in this State.
has decided that there is no such preva-
lence of the disease as would warrant him
in disbursing any part Of the emergency
fund put into his hands to be used &C
cording TO his judgment in case of an IN
usual spread of contagious disease. He
holds that the local authorities, with such
assistance as the State Board of Health
can extend. can prevent serious spread Of
the disease. The Board of Health in Ken
lucky has arrived at a different conclu-
sion and has announced that a quarantine
will be established on Sunday June l.
against Indiana, because smallpox exists
in sixty of the counties Of the State, and
Governor Durbin refuses to turn over a
portion Of the emergency fund to stamp out
the disease. The assumption is that if
Governor Durbin shall send word to the
Board OF Health in Indiana that a portion
of the emergency fund is subject to it's or
der, and SO notifies the Kentucky Board
Of Health. that body will revoke its order
for a quarantine against Indiana So far
as the Journal can learn, there is no in
formation in possession of the executive
which would warrant the conclusion that
smallpox is so nearly epidemic In any part
OF the State that an emergency exists de-
handing the expenditure of the States
money to suppress it. Such being the case,
the attempt Of the Kentucky Board of
Health to dictate what the Governor of
Indiana shall do will probably fail
There are few cases of smallpox here
and there in Indiana, perhaps a few more
than usual. There are a few cases in In
dianapOlis, but no person in possession of
his senses fears the spread of the disease
In fact, people go about their affairs as
usual, attend great meetings like the dedi-
cation OF the monument, ride in the steam
and street cars in large numbers with
no fear of smallpox, because it does not
exist in a dangerous form except in the
superheated imaginations of few per-
sons to whom a half dozen cases resem-
bling varioloid are an epidemic There
is no fear Of smallpox in any community
in the form of contagion In very few
cases schools were closed weeks ago.
but no town or city is avoided because of
smallpox The cases are sporadic and
mild. and being so. the Governor is not
warranted in having these cases pursued
so as TO give the impression that the State
is in danger of smallpox epidemic
1t is not necessary TO inquire here where
the Kentucky officials obtained the fS-
ures upon which they base their action. ex-
cept to say that If it is upon the repre-
sensations of the Indiana Board of Health
that the quarantine is announced, the fact
that its secretary has protested against
the action of the Kentucky board shows
that it does not accept the conclusions of
the health officials of this State To those
who look at the matter in all it's bearings
there is ground to suspect the motive of
political malignity in the transaction.
Indiana can stand this quarantine if
Kentucky can. Except a few river towns.
Indiana will suffer less than Kentucky.
since a quarantine will shut out of southern
Indiana the trade OF Louisville. If the
smallpox in that section of the State
- so general as the Kentucky Off
Gals assume. Louisville travelling men will
not visit it. II they do, it will be a
tacit admission that there is no ground
for the action of the Kentucky Board of
Health. If. however, the travelling men of
Louisville shall be frightened by the Ken
lucky Board of Health to an extent that
they will not visit towns in Indiana, the
Journal assures business men in such
places that the jobbers I'm Indianapolis
will do the right thing by them. Indian
apolis jobbers and travelling men are not
frightened at the smallpox scare of the
Kentucky Board of Health.