The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-12-07
AS A IA BELIEVETH
IN HIS A

oOAC ~ 10y - 1891
ing thought of epidemic.
Didn't take us long to answer
"Stop your everlasting talking about
it." And we cited the case of our
neighboring town of Fallon, where
citizens have made no arrangements
to entertain Fear, and where, conse-
quently, Fear has no abiding place;
and where schools and theatres are
open, and where people are no more
sick than in ordinary years.
And just afterward we encountered
in an exchange a letter from Walla
Walla, Wash, not so far north of
Winnemucca, which indicates clearly
that citizens of that town are firing
of the Fear propaganda-as they are
In other towns and beginning to
realize at least that the Fear thought
cannot help them, even though they
may not discern the positive harm ii
does. We believe it worth while to
copy the letter mentioned. Here it is:
Notwithstanding a vigorous closing
appeal to the jury delivered by limo
thy A. Paul, deputy prosecuting attor-
ney, in which he declared that the
State Legislature had invested the
board of health with supreme author
ity to promulgate such health orders
as it deemed wise and necessary, a
verdict of not guilty of violating the
state health boards gauze mask
wearing ordinance was found recently
in the case of C. NJ. RAIDER and E. L.
Casey, two attorneys of this city.
This finding was the more signif-
cant in that the defendants had them
selves admitted the violation of the
health boards order.
The trial assumed aspects at times
which made it almost a fiasco, the
masks of various types and patterns
which were worn in varying positions
by members of the court and some of
the onlcokers leading to a number of
ludicrous situations.
The defendants argued, however
that they took the matter seriously
in thai they might be convicted OF
committing a crime, which, they said,
would forever be a stigma against
their regulations"
The defense maintained that the
mask order violated the inalienable
rights Of American citizens; that it
was unreasonable, and that the masks
were insanitary.
The prosecution maintained that the
Legislature had given the state board
of health supreme authority to make
such regulations as it deemed wise
and necessary, and that it made no
difference what was anyone's personal
opinion as to the efficacy, reasonable
ness or wisdom of their orders.
DR.. j. E. vanderpool, city and coun-
ty health officer, was the first witness
called by the prosecution, and he had
no sooner taken the witness stand,
wearing his face mask, than Attorney
RAIDER moved the court that the wit
ness be obliged to remove his mask
quoting as his authority for the mo-
ton a constitutional law which gives
the defendant the privilege of meet
ing a witness face to face" Judge
Douglass upheld the motion.
The attorneys on trial conducted
their own defense, and during his
final plea Mr.. Casey declared that, il
his opinion, about SO per cent of dis.
ease was imaginary, anyhow. He de
clared further that the order inter
fered with his inalienable right as {
man; that the intent of the law wa:
not to empower the health board Il
pass stringent rules interfering witt
the freedom of a we'll man; that thu
masks were insanitary and filthy; tina
learned physicians co%rroborated hi
statement that the order was unrea
sonable, and therefore unjust an
contrary to law.
Attorney Paul, in his closing plea
said in part: Il detest these mask
myself, but it makes 40 differene'
what | think, or what these witnessei
think about the order. the state Leg
islature has invested the State boat
of health with supreme authority t
promulgate such health orders as
deems wise and necessary. The su
preme authority, mind you, and thi
mask order has been deemed wise an
necessary by the State board of healt
and was therefore issued accordin
to law. Few of us like the masks
but as l said before it doesn't max
any difference whether we agree wit