The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial correspondence of the Statesman.l

Especial correspondence of the Statesman
WASHINGTON, June l, 1883.
The physicians of the national board
of health are becoming greatly exer-
cised about the rapid spread of yellow
fever in the West Indies. A few
cases were reported early in the
spring, but it was thought that they
were only the average number
that would appear any year.
The number of cases IN Havana have
increased wonderfully in the last two
weeks and the disease is already cpl
demic. At Rio de Janeiro Brazil, there
are larger number of cases than at
Havana, and seventy-five deaths per
week are reported and the fever is
spreading at an alarming rate. To a
close observer it would seem that the
NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH
is not taking the proper precaution to
prevent the disease from reaching
our south Atlantic cities. The apathy
and laZiness of the board can be at
tributed to several things. Both the
Marine hospital service and the
board of health claimed the cpl
demic fund appropriated by
congress, and the physicians
and bosses of each organization claim
ed that the cash belonged to them and
INDUCED in wordy discussions with
each other. Congress was not in ses-
sion at the time the talk commenced,
and the two factions maligned each
other to their hearts content. The
oldest organization charged the other,
with being an upstart concern,
established only as a temporary eX-
pedient and to be destroyed at the
pleasure of congress, while the other
side was ventilated as being run by a
lot of old fossils and large salary eX-
tractors. The war of words was con-
tinued for many weeks, and both par
ties were guilty of much childlike
foolishness. The row doubtless greatly
disguised the government officials
and the public and probably had much
to do with the lack of interest dis
played by the last congress as to
health precautions. The managers
of the board of health are particular
ly anxious to parade their Importance
before the country, and even the most
minute transactions of the depart
ment are handed to the press for pub
llCdIlOu. LII 10 Cldllucu IIldI Guo SOuIu-
ern ports on the Atlantic and Gulf
have all established rigid quarantine
earlier than usual this year, on ac-
count of the prevalence of the fever at
Havana, and the utmost care and pre-
caution will be necessary to prevent
the Introduction of the disease into
this country. The refuge stations of
the board of health established in aid
of local and state authorities, one off
the coast of Georgia and another at
Ship Island, Mississippi, have been
fully equipped and are reported to be
now in readiness to handle yellow jack
patients by the score. Up'to this time
no infected vessels have been sent to
these stations, but under the local
quarantine rules all infected vessels
must be sent there Immediately upon
their arrival.
LOOKING DOWN ON THE LABORING
MAN.
A reckless disregard for the rights
and feelings of the laboring man
has become to be characteristic
of the upper ten, well
fed and paid politicians nowadays.
The same ranter that during heated
campaign will go around and tell lies
and bad things about the oppressive
ariStocratic governments of Europe
and laud the hard listed sons of toll
to the skies, will change entirely when
the election is over and heis drawing a
comfortable supply of Uncle Sans
good things. The great statesman
does not want to see any working
man then, and he spends much of his
time like the mon0polistic bosses of
the manufacturing north, thinking
of the greed and dissatisfied condition
of the American laborer. The
old country way of doing
business suits him exactly and he
thinks that it will be a blessed day for
this country when voter who makes
his square meal and raiment by the
sweat of his brow will be made to feel
that he has a master and managing
boss. Most of Arthur's cabinet off
GERS would be highly indig-
nant if a sun-burnt, Draw
ny-armed Washington street.
wOker were to approach them in a
conversational way. and old Benny
Brewster, the Philadelphia shyster,
would most likely make an exhibition
Oh himself. lnlS ancient QuQ6 seems
to think it piece of impudence when
a tinsmith like Dorsey becomes a sena-
tor. No where is the reckless disregard
of the politician or alleged statesman
for the workingmen shown more
than in the reimbursement of the
eight hour law. This law was passed
by Congress during Grants time, and
was strictly followed for some time
after its enactment, but now it is
dead letter on the statute books. Any
lay on the streets of Washington
person can see gangs of white laboreIs
engaged with that far more conteI te
fifteenth amendment brother en-
gagged in identifying the streets and
grand avenues of the city. These
men are poorly paid, receiving per
maps $1.50 per day, being worked for
ZEN long hours under the direction of
some brutal and obscene boss. The
white men find it uncommonly hard,
'or many of them are strangers from
he North and have been accustomed
20 good pay for their /;
oil, but there is no use in there kick