South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-24

THIS "FOOT-AND-MOUTH EPI-
DENiIC Is AN ANIMAL AIIINiENT,
NOT POLITICAL ONE, TERESA:
Action by the board of county COM
missioners. adding the might Of the
county TO that Of the state and nation
IN the night 10 uproot the foot-and-
mouth disease in Northern Indiana
and Southern Michigan, is eminently
proper. and shows, how the situation
as II becomes more and more realized,
is likely 10 be efficiently handled.
The magnitude Of the disaster very
naturally forces slow movement. 1t
IS at drst difficult to comprehend. and
secondly, il requires some calculation
in the organization Of a campaign such
as seems necessary in order to win.
With the federal government officials
in the business for years, literally
swamped by their discoveries, for
anyone to imagine that the state,
without any preparation or warning
should be able to step in and stamp
out the disease over night, is akin 10
being foolish.
And yet there appears TO be re-
publican leaders. a republican press,
and republican candidates in this neck
of the woods. who for political effect,
are advancing something mighty near
10 that contention. Evidently they
are 50 hard pressed that they would
be willing TO make political capital
Of the deaths of their own mothers,
if they could but dream that it would
make a vote.
Anything to find fault with-is their
evident prayer. With one breath
damn the state for increasing expendi-
lures which have gone for the support
Of penal. correctional, charitable and
educational institutions. and now
with the next breath they are cursing
il because the administration does not
plunge headlong into an additional
enormous expense fighting cattle
diseases. so that. we presume, they
might next be finding fault with that.
It is a wonder that they haven't
charged the democratic party. the
tariff. or the presidents Mexican
policy with having brought this
calamity to Northern Indiana. There
would be as much sense i'm il as lot
Of other things that the republicans
are doing. and this railing against
GOV. Ralston because he didn't lose
his head with the first flash of
calamity news from this end of the
stat. is one of them. The governor
is moving cautiously IN this matter
as we'll ne may The situation is
serious and for that reason he needs
TO move with caution.
To is hardly to be presumed that
this disease was discovered the first
day that II existed in this section.
Further spread. in a day or two. Will
not be SO very material; that is. it will
scarcely spread any more rapidly i'm
two DAYS since discovery than il did
i'm as many DAYS before that time
The situation stripped of its excite
meut reveals that both the state and
federal governments are exercising
every precaution that they can. Those
men who are So agitated about the
quarantine being viosated must know
that wherever they have knowledge of
violation il is the easiest thing in
the world for them 90 cheer it by
making complaint Go the proper OFF,
cials. II the farmers whose premises
have been quarantned are bound 20
be indiscreet in the matter. few OF
them taken 60 task might do the
others a lot OF good
We believe that the situation viii
be iroDed out IL IS not "a political
issue. and evidently GOV. EaIston is
not regarding il as SUCH The question
OF reimbursing the farmers is not a
political issue either Ii is matter
OF justice That there is no law on
the statute books covering the case
is no more the fault Of the democrats
than Of the republicans The repubH-
cans had as much Ieht on the possi-
bility % such condition arising.
when they We're I'm power. as the
democrats have since had To talk
about session Of the legislature
especially 20 pass reimbursement
law is nonsense. Better save the cost
OF the session and give it 10 the
farmers. There VIII Dee "a regular
session ten weeks hence. IL viii be