The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-30
THE QlARAaTIRE QUESTION.

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learned phyaIcIans IN cities liable " epldem
ior, Some Of tho most noted and learne'
physicians have Of laIe laken decided ground
against my quarantine regulations NJ ull
Tnoy contend TINT cloanllnoss ia tho anIldot
AGAINST opidomio', especially yolloS fever
and they reason In support Of their thoor!
not only eapoitly, but most logically NM
plaualbly. We know thal during tho war
when Southern CLUES were blookaded BY Fed
oral fleets, that there WIS m Immunity iron
elbow fever opdemca, Az Charleston
ioro were lew oases brought Il
blockade runners md nlt0 nj Savanna
nd NJ Charleston, but nj neither place VIII
here spread Of tho disease, The popula
ton Of these CITIES, leaving out the soldier
stationed there, was greatly dccroOscd b,
reason Of tho inhabitants having In lorg,
numbers loft 10 avoid the horrors or scigC
and battle, and we know that tho soldiers
camps wore kept reasonably elem. In Now
Ofonns II Ia claimed that thoro was no yell
low fever NJ NIL, md II hns become matter
ofhhtory, that while Major Goooral Butler,
Of the Federal army commanded there, that
ho kept Tho city marvclously cloan and
free from the impurities accustomed by
accumulatlons of llth and refuse matter.
These facts, II seems, 80 TO argue that clean
lib@s 10 an antdotc against ycllow-iover cpl
dcmIc, especially In tho case Of New Orleans
f,i II wo mistake not, there WINS FREQ prntiQuo
for vessels from NIL ports while the Fcdernls
had possession Of tho city. But this isa phase
Of Tho question that we do not In this article
propose to dis u@ Mt length. The main
question to be considered Is the quarantine
IN its political Specification Congress has
even seen proper to take cogniaOnce of the
mslter, and what Is termed National Board
OF Health has been created aud clothed
with powers which in our juGg-
mint Is clear invasion of the
constitutional rights of tho States. Tho
authority for the appointment of this Board
OF Health Is claimed to be given under that
elanso of tho constitution which empowers
Congreas 10 pass ncedrul laws for the rcgula-
tion Of Interstate and foreign commerce.
This, We take it, Is u strained construction of
this constitutional provision. The consttu-
ton, IL wo understand its terms Alright, NJ
comprehend intellgenlly the views and SON
tinents entertained by and actuating its
trainers, guarantees certain rights, privileges
and immunties to the States of this Union
that cannot be evaded or abridged under any
presext whatever. The creation of this
BoArd of Health, to regulate the quarantine
matters of State and issue its ipse
dixit as TO what shall or shall not
be done, is in our Judgment as absolute an
interference with the rights of State as
would DO q Congressional edct breaking
down State lines or making oifenses against
State laws taxable only in Federal courts. IT
stretch Constitutional provisions to suit the
demands Of expedicncy and we are sur
prised that any Democrat in Congress should
'upport measure so palpably wrong aud
outrageous as was the bill which created
his National "so-called' Board Of Health.
While the members of this Board
If Health are usurpers, they are
.egalized usurpers, acting under color of
law, and Law, too, that was
passed by Democratic Congress. The ten.
doncy of the Republican party is to central
ism and n Reputation of that form of gov
eminent established by the founders of this
Republic, and the Democratic party is looked
TO to combat this innovation and subversion
OF the liberties of the people. The only way
to do it successfully is to fight vigorously
every move that annuls any constitutional
provision, that has a tendency
to shackle, be it ever so
lightly, the rights and prerogatives
Of the States, and therefore of the people
In this mornings paper will be found the
resolutions adopted BY the Democracy of
Pennsylvania, in convention assembled, yes
terday. They have the true ring about
them; they breathe the spirit of Seventy
elk, and define in brief what the true theory
and genius OF this government is. They de-
clare that every State of the Union has an
autonomy of its own, and that the Union of
States is whole made up of many other
wholes. This junts of spies and dictstors,
yclept National Board of Health, can
never derive being from any authority of
such government as these resolutions de.
fine. Quarantine, when it Is neces.
sity, is matter that comes
alone within the perview of the authority Of
the State which established 1t, and any inter-
eence Of the Federal government through
BOARD of Health Of its own creation or BY
~ other means, Is unwarrahted by the
indamental law Of the land, and should be
,nored by tho State authorities. The Fed.
cal government has no more right to inter.
ere with the constitutional prerogative. of
State Of this union than Great Britain or
Germany has, and should be made to under.
stand it Just as promptly as either of these
powers would be. ANY recognition of the
so-called National Board Of Health by any