The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-03-17
To Send Little Daughter
To School.
She HADN'T BEEN vACCINATED
And Remained At Home Be.
cause Of the Illness Of
Her Mother.
DONE IN NAME OF THE LAW

Just how the law of compulsory
vaccination works when put to the
test, is well illustrated by the fol-
lowing case told by the Greensboro
Messenger of a man well known in
Ohio county, as he formerly lived
here. 1t is enough to almost make
the blood of a righteous-minded per-
sons blood boil There is no criti-
cism for the trial judge, for his
sworn duty is to uphold the law. 1t
is the law itself which appears in all
it's hideousness.
Here is the case of man who
had done nobody any harm-never
did anybody any harm that We ever
heard of, and We know him pretty
well-being thrown into Jail, simply
for protecting his own family. But
| let the Messenger tell the pitiful lit
tie story, which is short, plain and
to the point. The Messenger of
Sunday says:
81. A. Nelson, who resides in
West Fifth street, was arraigned be-
fore County Judge Lancaster on
Saturday afternoon on a warrant
preferred against him by the truant
officer. Nelson was charged with
failing to send his fourteen-year-old
daughter to the West Second-street
school. Nelson informed the Court
that the child had been refused ad-
mission to the school because she
was not vaccinated as required. His
reason for not complying with the
law and allowing the child to at
| tend school was that she was need
ed at home to perform the house
hold duties usually discharged by
his wife. The latter he stated. was
unable to discharge her duties tenn
porarily because of illness, and he
feared vaccination would affect the
child so that she would become i'll.
Judge Lancaster imposed a fine of
SO and remanded the man to the
county Jail when he was unable to
nquldate the nne.
Talk about personal liberty" in
this land of the free and home of
the brave" how does this strike
you? What would YOU think if
YOU were in Jim Nelson's place?
Would YOU think there was any
fairness in this law? OF course
failure to send his little girl to
school was the main charge and the
one upon which he was imprisoned,
but you will notice that failure to
have the child vaccinated was at the
bottom of it all. And why didn't he
have her vaccinated? Because he
had sick wife at home who needed
the ministrations of her little
daughter while the husband and
father was out at work, trying to
provide and make living for his
family. Vaccination would in all like
lihood make the child sick. He is
poor man and has to work for a
living. Aud now this man who has
wronged nobody and committed no
offense save in the protection of his
family, must suffer the disgrace of
being thrust into Jail, where he
must lie in "durance vile" while his
little family at home weep over his
misfortune and suffer for the neces-
stiles of life.
Does this sound like the doings
of an enlightened age? Doesn't II
rather sound like a chapter taken
from the remote past. when the old
blue laws" were in force and al
legged witches We're burned Mt the
stake? But not so. II happened
right here In Kentucky-in Ovens
boro. Daviess county-and only
last week.
Jim Nelson is just poor man.
holding no position of prominence
in the. worlds affairs. He didn't
even have money sufficient to pay
his fine. But his liberty and his
personal rights are just as precious
to him and his little family as to
the most distinguished and wealthy
man Of the land. What happened
TO him Is liable TO happen TO any
man of this grand old State of Ken
, lucky who should feel compelled to
do just as he did.