The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-08-10
CII N i E,R {, I IN N .E1RU Il.
III P.EskuNsrRATEs AGAINST THE
WHOLESALE QUARANTINE OF
NEW ORLEANS.

protest against the unreasonable ana unneees-
aary quarantine proclaimed against this city by
various cities. villages, railroad stations and
river landings throughout the Southwestern
states,' have performed the duties assigned
them, and submit for publication the report
which follows:
The Chamber Of Commerce Of New Orleans
has been deeply concerned to observe the ex-
panic pervading the entire Interior
Of the country In regard to the danger OF yellow
fever infection from this city. Corporate towns
tween the States, reserved by the constitution
to the Federal or ate governments respect
s ssfs ass oWs ssTsy by etched ana
the lave Of hospitality, and in some cases:
Of humanity, have, been SUSPENDED the city OF
n rI9 ali M eommunicaion , with it's customers and
correspondents, and the Intercourse between
the extremes Of the Union absolutely arrested.
Che city Of New OflGhns, AS the alleged cause
Of these exaggerated apprehengs1ions. has been been
more completely isolated than when 1t expiatsd
the mistortunes of q, common cause by The
tttut5h e7sse seEtinh - sn1ihltn anatnv
It Ia psrplexing to re remember that those who
once waged q war to remove obstruettl,ons to the
navigation OF the mississippi should nov IN
terprse equally insuUerable imDedtmsnts to
the freedom Of Its waters.
We look in vaIn for o justification OF this non
Intercourse In tie public health Of New Orleans.
The diseases classed as malarial, pernietot1s
and yellow fever have, all together. SO far from
attaining ,propnrtions which would authorize
the health authorities to proclaim them epi.
denic. presented no more than the normal and
average prevalence OF any season. Thus far
they have not risen to u greater maximum Of
OF mortality than one death per day upon every
10000 Of our population. This insignificant
rate may be restricted. and even reduced, by
the ordinary agencies; Of an improved system
Of sanitary care. Such q death rate cannot be
regarded as dangerous addition to the or
dinary chances of vitality aud certainly neither
occasions nor Justities any serious apprehen-
the rpEjHnnE nltiYHDE pnIttnI
visitors OF this city. While this epidemic of
terror blockades every access of Intercourse,
Of our people go on az usual, nor is there any
symptom Of disorganization in The commercial,
mechanical or financial Transactions OF the city.
Experience, however. teaches thai IL Is In vain
to reason with prejudice. expostulate with ter
rot or conciiate commercial competition. We
address ourselves therefore, to the business
and property interests OF other cities and of our
New Orleans has been, stationed by the great
West at The gate OF the s IN. MlSssfipp Sv POI valley She
eoastwise and European trade, but for any
direct trade with the Southern States and colo
trusted with and held responsible for the de-
Tense of this outlet whether against hostile
force or imported infection. She, has always
warrantable abuse Of her fidelity if, while stand
ing guard against common danger approach
ing from the front, she should be attacked in
the rear by the desertion of The very allies who
have assigned her this forlurn position. It
would be even worse If these allies should cap
ture. cut off and TURN to their own profit the
commercial supplies upon which New Orleans
can alone sustain the position assigned her
Such d return for devoted fidelity could not be
justified by even the most abect fear of life
ITSELF. We cannot even imagine a trsaehery so
sordid. &.
The maintenance Of quarantine against trop-
cal ports by New Orleans has now continued
for more Than thirty years. Before the CON
struction of the railroads which connect the
Mississippi Valley. with the Eastern Atlantic
ports, any arrest OF this tropical trade only In
yolved a delay. but it was inevitably restored to
the carriers aud merchants Of the West with
the disappearanee9o of the epidemic which had
ever. the periodical closure Of the port OF New
Orleans by q. time quarantine has tended to
drive this trade to Atlantic ports perhaps more
indulgent, less sensational and more aware of
its very great value. Instead therefore. of the
Western cities receiving through their own
carriers m eargoes Of sugar, coffee, and other
feet centres for the distribution Of those goods.
instead Of delivery ut their own doors to be
Western provisions required In exchange for
these goods. this whole tropical trade Is now
conveyed to the Eastern Atlantic ports. The
Western provistons are carried by Eastern
railroads aud canals. the exchange Of these
commodities ts effected at these ports, aud the
Western cities cites take their ratable slhare. in
foreottea that the commercial GORE.
must nnce adcompany pan this % unnatural @ course Of
trade. Perhaps no better indication Of this d.
version Of trade from the Mississippi can be
imp rtaton of coffee by way of the ports
Of Baltimore and New Orleans, respectively,
in the years is41-2 and 1876. Ihe total
1s41-2 was 4so50n sacks Of this. New Orleans re-
ceived 126.s65 sacks. or about 27 per cent? Bali-
more reesiyed 125 41s sacks or about Is per cent
| the same amount as Baltimore. OF this trade
| it was said by De Bows Review. the highest
two years us4t aud 1922 New Orleans imported
| q larger quantity of coffee than either New
York or Baltimore aand we may confidently pre-
dict for her an import trade that will greatly In
crease. until she becomes. what is evident she
must be-, the greatest coffee market in the
| United States" It is also added: Nearly the
| whole increase of the import of Brazil coffee
was, II appears. to supply the Western trade
Il, In the year 1876. however. this sanguine pre-
dietion was completely refpted. The to al coffee
sacks. OF this New York received 14o2. .5Bi
sacks. or Ga per cent: Baltimore 479 $50 sacks, OF
about IS per cent, and new Orleans about 168. .54e
SACKS. or about per cent. From this com
parson 1t would apnear that almost the entire
coffee trade of the West has been transferred to
the factors and carriers OF the East and that
| Instead OF Western cities being the entrepot
and distributors OF the trade. they rest content
with the subordinate agency, assigned them by
the Eastern importers of their goods and ex,
porters OF theilsproduce. When. in considering
the change OF This tlade. wa remember that In
leans. was only about one-third that of tht
whole Union, while in 1878 the same regiot
numbers perhaps more than half The entire
population of the Union. the decline of trade
upon this natural line becomes more startling
The expectations of Western provisions. more
especially OF flour, from New Orleans to ths
tropical ports. has been almost entireAy trans
ferred to the Eastern Al ilantic ports. The flour
which furnishes he principal basis of tropica
imports. supplies the outireieht that govern
the imporations. 1t may serve to illustrate th
disadvantages under which New Orleans labors
when Il is sta ed that In 1915. not single vesse
cleared from the port Of New Orleans for that 0
Bio JancirV the great coffee mart OF the con
tident. But for tue cotton and corn exports o
/ New Orleans there would be no reason to ex
pect any import of coffee from Rio to New Or
leans at all.
From this statement it will appear that New
Orleans, in endeavoFing to secure the restora
tion OF this trade to herself and her Westerl
constituent cities, has. but imposed pruden
restriction upon vessels coming from tropica
ports; In having done it she may have Ger
haps injured her own local interests for the al
vantage OF those she represents. She has no
limited her efforts to these measures alone
sne has applied to ministers and consu's II
represent the Importance of the Western route
and markets appeaIed to the governmant t