River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-23
A Suggestion to Congress
National Liye Sod Journal.

Suggestion TO Congress.
National Live Stock journal.
The Illinois State Board of Agricul-
ture did an eminently proper thing
when it issued circular, addressed to
the members ofcongress in the estern
states calling attention TO the article
entitled Suppress the Contagion or
Hedge it IN" which appeared in the
November number of the Journal, and
inviting them to attend a meeting, to
be held in this city, November 18th,
while the fat stock show was in pro-
gress, to consider the question alluded
to in that article.
The meeting was held in the Grand
Pacific Hotel, and was largely attended
by members of congress and prominent
stock raisers from many Of the states
and territories. No gathering ola sim
liar nature has ever been held in this
country that could at all compare with
1T in character of the attendance. From
the common farmer, who keeps ten TO
fifty head of cattle, to the ranchmen of
the western plains, whose herd num-
bers tens of thousands, a lively sense of
direct interest in the subjcct-matter
under consideration was manifested by
their participation in the proceedings.
The large shippers and dealers were
also present, and all intent on securing
protection to the herds of the west
from the infection of pleuro-pneumonia
and the bringing about of such a state
of things rs will enable the United
States to go with clean hands and de-
mand the removal of the restrictions
that now hamper our trade in live cat
tie with Great Britain.
The meeting was called to order by
the Hon. J. r. Scott, of Champaign,
Ills, president of the Illinois State
Board Of Agriculture, who was, on
motion, made permanent chairman,
and Judge Geo. +. Bryant Secretary of
the Wisconsin State Agricultural Socie-
| ty, was chosen secretary. Hon. L. {.
Jones, Of Ohio, addressed the meeting
at considerable length, going over the
whole ground, with which our readers
are already familiar, but which was
new to many of those present. After
remarks by several other gentlemen, a
committee of five consisting of j. II.
Sanders of the Journal, Hon T. c Jones,
of Delaware, Ohio, Hon. Emory COob,
of Kankakee, Ills, and MessrS. Fort
| and Hayes, members O. congress from
Illinois, were appointed committee
to report a series of resolutions ex-
pressive Of the sense of the meeting.
The committee reported the follow
ing preamble and resolutions, which,
were adoptedafter further discussion,
participated in by seveGal of the mem
bers of congress and others present.
WHEREAS, The contagious plouro- pneumonia
of cattle exists in several states of the union Dor
dering on the Atlantic seab0ard; and
WHEREAS, 1t is evident that 50 long Us unre-
stricted traffic in live cattle Is permitted between
these infected states and those not infected, the
livestock interests Of all sections Of country
are menaced by terrible danger; and,
WHEREAS, The state Of things above indicated
has resulted in the adoption of regulations by the
| British government which seriously Interfere with
our export trade in cattle with that country
| thereby entailing great damage to all Cattle
raisers and feeders in the United States; and,
| WHEREAS, In view of the decision Of our state
and federal courts, the states acting as such art
powerless to protect themselves from Infection
from an adjoining state and for the same reason
| an infected state is powerless to stamp out the
contagion SO long it exists on its borders III an
adjoining state; therefore,
Resolred, That it is the imperative duty Of con
vent the spread to this disease into states not
already infected and shall result in its entire
determination at the earliest practicable period.
Resolred, That, an important preliminary
step, we heartily second the recommendations
made by Judge Jones of Ohio, to the president
Of the United States for the appointment Of one
or more veterinary inspectors, who shall definite
ly ascertain and designate the infected regions.
Resolred, That we recognize the bin introduced
into the house of representatives, ut its last SEES
~ = n ..l.r,.. /.
essential features necessary to al intelligent anC
efficient supervision of contagious and infectious
diseases of 1--we stock generally on the part Of The
federal government, and that we heartily recon-
mend its passage, with an additional provision
which shah clOthe the commission with authority
to prescribe rules and regulations under which thu
live stock of any snfeeted state, territory, or dis
tret may be transported or taken therefrom. anI
under which live stock may be transported
through such infected state, district or terri
tory. or, in their discretion, to prohibit abso
lutey the tranSp0rti0n of live stock from Of
through such infected district When in theii
opinion the same shall be essential TO the gen
eral safety.
1t will, perhaps, be urged by some
that this bill, even with the additional
provision suggested, does not go far
enough-that it fails to provide fol
stamping out the disease where it ex-
lists. TO such we will say that the
meeting was Of opinion that it would
be useless to press for anything beyond
what is covered by the foregoing rec.
concentrations at the coming session
of congress. The members present
were quite generally of opinion that nc
measure which assumed to provide
the machinery for stamping out pleuro
pneumonia in the states where it exists
by the general government, could com
mand vote large enough to insure It's
passage in the present congress; and il
was the opinion of many of the best
informed among those present that il
is not expedient for the general gov
eminent to undertake this stamping
out business, even if there were nc
question as to the constitute Aality oil
such measure; and in this opinion
THE JOURNAL fully concurs. If con
gress will create the commission con
templated by the Keifer Bill, with the
additional powers recommended in the
| foregoing resolutions, such commits
sion, if composed OF intelligent, prae-
teal men, will at once adopt such regu-
lations as will effectually prevent the
transportation of cattle from the infect
| tu ulSllICto- lilcy VIII tltCludlly H6uSe
in the contagion; and it will then be
possible for each state to suppress il
promptly. The restrictions which this
commission will place upon the com
merce of infected states will make il
imperative for these infected states to
stamp out the disease at once, and il
can be done much more cheaply and
thoroughly by them than by any
means that the general government can
devise.
If, after having passed such a law as
recommended above, congress shall
make liberal appropriation to each
of the infected states, to aid them i'll
the work of stamping out the disease,
it appears to us that the whole ground
will have been covered. All this can
be done without the slightest violence
to the scruples Of the strictest state
rights democrats, and without the least
surrender Of the doctrine of national
supremacy on thep of the most rad
ical republican.