The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1905-08-03
HAPPENINGS
IN MISSISSIPPI
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ALL
SECTIONS.
AN EPITOME OF THE NEWS
Culled From the Important Happen
ings Throughout the State During
the Past Week and Reviewed in
Brief.
vardaman's 5 Proclamation.


Governor Vardaman gives out the
following:
"The appearanee of yellow fever
in the city of New Orleans caused the
State Board of Health of Mississippi
to establish rigid quarantine against
the city of New Orleans and the state
of Louisiana. When information was
received by the Board Of Health OF
the State of Mississippi that suspl-
cious cases of fever existed in the city
of New Orleans, every effort was made
by DIR. Hunter, secretary of the Board
to discover the real situation. The
usual dissimulation and evasion was
.practiced by the health authorities OF
New Orleans and the state of Louis
lana, but finally an admission was ex-
.torted that yellow fever existed there.
"Reports from the infected section
reveal rather discouraging conditions
of affairs and the leath rate indicates
that the fever is of a malignant type.
If the people of Mississippi would
avoid this threatened plague the ut
most vigilance and rigid and unre-
lenting quarantines must be main
tanned. That can be done only by all
the people of Mississippi doing their
duty in the enforcement Of the quar-
antine regulations. There is no ne
cesity for panic. Indiscreet or ex-
treme measures are unnecessary, but
the situation calls for intelligent,
prompt and prudent conduct. The
man who would imperil the health OF
any community in this state In or
der to promote his personal pecunlary
interests, is an enemy to society and
should be treated as such. | want the
people of Mississippi to understand
that I shall remain at my post IN this
city. and will sec to it thai all infor-
nation regarding the spread OF the
yellow fever in Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi which comes to my atten-
ton U shall use every means at my
command to acquire informatiou)
shall be given to the public. If sus-
picious cases occur in any community
that fact shall be unreservedly given
to the public.
~ am more interested in preserv-
ing the health of the people OF this
State than am of saving few paltry
dollars. 1t is stupid and almost Grim
inal policy to suppress information
regarding even suspicious cases In or
der that business interests may not
be demoralized. If note of warn-
ing shall be promptly sounded and
the people informed in all instances
it will be practically impossible for
the fever to spread. Epidemics are
usually resultant from people placing
interests above the public health, and
in their effort to suppress the truth
the disease gets foothold and ere 1t
is known, the whole community has
become infected with it.
"After a consultation with the Sec
retary of the State Board of Health |
am authorized to say that policy will
not be pursued in this campaign
against the dread disease. | would
rather see the business of the entire
state suspended for thirty days and
the disease stamped out or prevented
from entering the state than to pur-
sue more lax policy, even if it
brought only half dozen cases. Be-
cause I know that half a dozen cases
in the state of Mississippi, leaving
depreciation of the values of prop
matter Of life and death, would bring
depreciation fthe values of prop
erty running up into the millions.
Therefore / call upon every loyal citi-
zen of tie State of Mississippi to do
his full duty in this desperate emer-
gency. Let the quarantine regulations
be vigorously enforced and in every
instance where suspicious case of
fever is found report it to DR.. John
F. Hunter, Secretary Of the State
Board Of Health or to me.
JAMES X. VARDAMAN,
Governor.