The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1905-09-30
Looking to
the Future

1t has been suggested that cor :
vention should he held in Noven :
Der next. composed of delegate 5
from the various Southern States.
the object Of the convention being
to consider Ger ain questions af-
fecting economic conditions IN tn
States to be represented. Among
these it is probable that quaran-
tine regulations al d defensl
against epidemics or panics result
ing from the fear of them Wi ]
have the chief place.
The condition of the Southwest
ern Gulf States has been for the
the past two months exactly that
of an invaded country. The pre-
sence of AN enemy, of an army o.
defense, the subordinatiOn of all
business interests, the fight of a
panic struck population, and the
state of siege in which every town
has existed has created state OF
alta rs very closely allied to that
of war. At such a time every
town, every eparate comm unity
becomes a law to itself, and al
most complete abrogatiOn OF the
regulations of civil life follows.
The eff, c. of such conditions,
thrust suddenly upon a common
ity, Is of course disastrous. Com
blned with them is the unreason-
ing error inspired by threatened
invasion of yellow fever terror
so overwhelming that all consider.
atoms of business loss Ur the CON-
mon Obligations of civilized life
disappear before it. That "a com
munlty or IL State should each
summer risk exposure 10 sucn
conditions is utterly destructive
of its Prosperity, its desirabillty
as "a home, or its hope for future
growtl and development.
The work done in New Orleans
and in other attacked and threat
ened places this summer is mos
encouraging, showing clearly that
Intelligent and concerted action
can rob this :, our &c of its terrors
by curling its power to spread.
In 1873, comparatively without
railway communication and blind
ly fighting the plague in the dark,
tie whole State OF Missi- sippl was
land waste 10y /. In the present
year, while dread OF it has poured
a great part of the population and
money If tue SOu,h INTO far-aNa
Northern cities, intelligent effort
bias prevented It's spread from toci
first injected, and reduced the
death rate to figure paltry IL
deed when Compared with that OIL
former visitations. 1t would APP
pear that absolute exclusion of II
disease from our shores Is hardly
To be hoped for Our gulf ports
are aim, st tropica and it Is pro-
bable that few Asses occur at
sume point IN the United states
Almost every year. But it can
controlled. It can be kept within
hounds, AID its virulence veal
ened ~ such a point that the pei
PIE of cltl handreds of miles
from an infected poin' will not
lose their heads III panic terror
rnd abandon home and business
and seek safety thousand ml'es
away.
1t such an experience as that of
the present summer is TO be re-.
pealed even once or twice
it viii be wisdom and duty for The
people Of the South to guard
against it or meet it waen comes
bv Ghe wisest and sanest provi-
SIous which experience aid lnlei-
ligent deliberatlon will enable
them 10 make.
in time of peace prepare f.r
war. Fight fever lnTasr n IL
fore it comes. Communities like
Greenville cannot afford such an
experience as that of the present
summer. The work of keeping
The scuurge out has been done
bravely. intelligently and success
fully, as the people of GrcenviIle
meet almost every emergency ;htl
the buaincss andaives of all cites
of the Smth should have rpng-.
er. stngr defense and prots tioh
than a 5 mot gun quarantine MAIN
tanned by their oSn citizens.