New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-04

About his time every year, the Calves
ton merchants are taken with an 'tannual
autumnal outbreak" Of fear of New Or
leans yellow fever. Accordingly they give
it as their professional opinion to the
local doctors, and the local doctors give
it as their professional opinion to the
hoodwinked world that there should be
established rigid quarantine. This year
the mercantile earmarks appear palmer
than usual in the bungling transaction.
According to our understanding of the
case, ships from New Orleans with pas
sengers and merchandise are forbidden
to enter port, or even the harbor, though
vessels which come for cargoes of cotton
may enter at will. This reminds Us of
our private market prohibitory laws,
wherein the State, in the exercise of its
police powers has, for sanitary considers
lions, enacted that the establishment of a
private market anywhere within twelve
squares Of public market is very un-
healthy proceeding It is presumed to
be unhealthy for the pockets of the con-
tractors. People who live thirteen or
more squares from public market are,
however, left to be exposed to the deadly
effects Of dressed larnb, veal or pig, or
q picked chicken offered for sale by the
owner of private market In the more
densely populated parts of the city, the
privilege Of impairing the public health
and depicting the public pocket is given
solely to the public contractor.
Thus it will be seen that the Galveston
merchants, and the New Orleans butchers
and market farmers have usurped the
functions of scientific men. We do not
know how it is with them of the sand
island city, but here many of our ply
sicians have been forced into politics
where they are, if possible, greater nuis-
ances than when at their old business.
The merchants and press of New Or
leans may rail at the selfishness of Gal
weston with as much success as the free
market men complain of their oppressors.
Words can effect but little in either case.
So long as the one party or the other
find profit in oppression, and the means
to continue it. it will be kept up. Action,
not words, is wanted.
When we can find a way to flank GAL
weston by reaching the interior of Texas
through the system Of railroads which
centre at Houston, or permission obtained
for Morgan's steamers to navigate Buffalo
bayou without prohibition from the Gal
weston local authorities, there will be an
snd of these annual quarantine annoy
ances upon such frivolous pretexts as
hose of last year, the year before and
again this. New Orleans has had but two
bad seasons of epidemic since
lS54-one of these in 1858, the other in
1867. Yet, latterly and since the disap-
of danger, the health officers of
instigated by the merchants,
,ave annually imposed onerous restric-
ions upon vessels arriving from this city
With freight and passengers. It has been
evived this year with more than usual
lnreasonableness. The Morgan line
teamers from Brashear are forbidden to |
inter the port, and what is still more
idiculous and absurd, the local author |
ties there forbid them from passing up
Buffalo bayou, with freight for Clinton,
* miles below Houston, though in doing |
o they do not pass within three miles Of |
he affrighted city of Galveston. The
Whole harbor Of Galveston is declared in
state of blockade by DR.. Blunt, the
lealth officer who is at present ad-
the sanitary laws of
he mercantile community of the
Island City. At the same time the
channel of communication by railroad is
open. Several passengers and box of
left this city on Sunday by
way of Memphis, Texarkana and Houston
'or Galveston, where they have since ar
lived without exciting the least commo-
ion. This roundabout route possesses
10 terrors for the Galveston shop keepers.
They stand, however, in mortal dread of
. deeply laden steamer, with fresh mer-
;handise from New Orleans for the inte-
Tor merchants. This is what makes
hem sick, with their old stocks of auction
FOODS on hand. They, moreover, show
meddlesome solicitude for Clinton,
Houston, Harrisburg, and other points on
he railroad, by imposing heavy per-
onal penalty upon any captain who may
lare to flank Galveston and take q ship
Up Buffalo bayou. An empty ship coming
or cotton is, however, welcome visitor.
At present there is nothing to do but
ufer this imposition upon our trade as
pest we may. There must be legal
emedy somewhere. There doubtless is
me if court could be found to enforce
t. But such tribunal does not exist,
Tor would it be long permitted to exist in
Texas unless it favored the local preju-
Ices. A gentleman who is very much in
crested in the Texas trade yesterday in
mated, in the course of a conversation
N the subject, that possibly something
night be done by the Texas Legislature
lezt winter to protect the rights of other
'orts of entry in the State, and make it
possible to send cargoes to them without
icing prohibited BY the iealousies of