Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-06-06
Suppression of the Truth.

Certain spasmodic revisiOnists of pub
lie policy, assuming the hazardous role
of press censorship, have thoughtlessly
included the JOURNAL i'll their directory
of newspapers which have allegedly
suppressed the truth concerning the
prevalence of smallpox i'll Cumberland.
Answering for itself alone, the JOUR
NAL pleads not guilty.
In the first place, there We're two
stories coming up from Cumberland
the professional official and the unpro-
fessional-unofficial the latter compound
frequently house divided against it
self.
For instance, on Thursday, May 2l,
the JOURNAL talked with two prominent
residents of the city, each i'll apparently
good position to know whereof he was
retailing. One declared absolutely that
"Cumberland is reeking with smallpox;
the other that there is little or no
smallpox in the city One was almost
violently hostile to the Health Board,
Une OJner ltS loyal enuorSeT
Those interviews, each fatty contra
dieting the other, and those inter
views only, induced the JOURNAL to set
aside ~artjhg to the peopIr to st"y array
tram the Carnjrm or be rcyy corcfm
~hM Mer.H
Meanwhile, a note came from repu-
JOURNAL to state that the unprofessional
reports "are gross exaggerations, and
so on.
Now, here is the JOURNAL, at least |
miles away, with no talent for survey
ing smallpox areas, with no taste for in
terviewing smallpox patients, and with
Quoted census of smallpox suspects -
what was it to do?
Which truth was it to reject, which
lie to adopt?
This was the situation at the last
moment of the only week that the issue
of Ego or not to 60 was alive, so far as
the Carnival was concerned.
Uninfluenced by even the shadow of
mcrcenary consideration it gave itself
the benefit of the doubt AS one mot
on the ground and avoiding injustice,
its statement was guardedly based upon
the preponderance of professional, Of
fetal and unprofessional testimony,
united and concurrent, over the varying
eXtravagancies of unprofessiOnal evil
dence.
That the JOURNALS course at that last
and only critical moment was dictated by
the fact that the Eagles We're its first
page patrons for several weeks is re-
Election of the mental littleness which
conceives the thought and of the moral
scrubbiness which cherishes it.
AS a matter of fact, the contract with
the JOURNAL was made by and with
resilient EagIrs Of FroStb"rg-not of
Cumberland.
Hence, if any resentment is felt toward
the JOURNAL by any Frostburg faction
for taking an advertisement inviting the
people away from Frostburg, that re-
sentiment is misplaced. 1t should fall on
another Frostburg faction.
But if the JOURNAL is to be censured
for what now seems to be the yrdromeH
of its offending, why not include the
railroads which furnished extra and
cheap facilities for enabling people to
get away?
Or is the crime of inviting people to
go from home more heinous than that of
carrying them away:
A curious development of this inn
parchment of the JOURNAL appears i'll
the fact that some, perhaps many of the
esteemed cavilers aided last year in the
promotion of similar Cumberland
event. This under other fraternal
auspices.
In so doing they set both the precedent
and the pace for the current years de-
campment.
This, in conclusion, by way of re-
hinder that an uncultivated consistency,
depressed by a slippery memory, fur
nishes decrepit claim upon even super
generous public for critics diploma.
-s~
The HOr-Pcn Ordinances