National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-24

direction, aud Is loss Objectionable than tho
other sections referred TO,
| The sixth section is full of trouble, and
provides that no railroad company within
tho United States, or tho owners or masters
of any steam or sailing or other vessel OF
boat shall receive for transportation or trans.
| port from one state or territory to another,
or from any state into tho District of Colum-
| bia, or from tho district into any state, any
1.-Two stock affected with any contagious in
fectious, or communicable disease, and
especially tho disease known as pleuro-pnou-
monia nor shall any person, company, or
corporation deliver for such transportation to
| any railroad company, or master or owner of
any boat or vessel, any live stock, knowing
thom TO bo affected with any contagious, in
fuctious, or communicable disease nor shall
any person, company, or corporation drive on
foot or transport in private conveyance from
one state or territory to another, or from
any state into tho District of Columbia, or
from the di-trict into any state, any live
stock, knowing them to be affected with any
contagious infectious or communicable
disease, aud especially the disease known as
pleuro-pneumonia.
The seventh section is upon the same sub
joct, and makes IL the duty Of the commits
sOner of agriculture to notify in writing the
proper officials or agents Of any railroad,
steamboat, or other transportation company
doing business in OF through any infected
lOCallty, anu ny publication III buCn news
papers as he may select of the existence of
such contagion; and any person or persons
operating any such railroad, or master or
owner of any boat or vessel, or owner or Gus
todian of, or person having control over such,
cattle or other live stock within such infected
district who shall knowingly violate the pro.
visions of section of this act, shall be guilty
of misdemeanor, and. upon conviction, shall
be punished by fine of not less than 800 nor
moro than $4,000, or by imprisonment for not
moro than one year, or by both such fine and
imprisonment.
And by section IL is also provided that It
shall be the duty of tho several United States
district attorneys to prosecute all violations
of this act which shall be brought to their
notice or knowledge by any person making
tho complaint under oath; and the same shall
be heard before any district or circuit court
Of the United States or territorial court
holden within the district in which the vio-
ation of this act has been committed.
Commenting upon these three sections, 10
is to be observed, first, that by the sixth sec
tion any railroad company Of the United
States is by the opening paragraph of that
section made amonable to the penalties in
flcted by the act for receiving for transport
alton from ono state or territory to another
any live stock which may be affected with
any contagious, infectious, or communicable
disease, without the slightest reference as to
whether such company receiving said stock
for transportation has knowledge Of the in
fection. l do not think IL can be said that
this portion Of the section is au slfed or ma
terially changed by what follows, viz: the
provision that no person, company or corpo-
ration shall deliver for transportation to any
railroad company any live stock knowing it
to be affected with any contagious, infectious,
or communi cable disease.
1t is made by the seventh section, as we
have seon, the duty Of tho commissioner of
agriculture to notify in writing the proper
officials, and by publication in such news
papers as he may select Of the existence of
such contagion; and l take it that no lawyer
will dispute the proposition that if an indi-
vidual or corporation should ever under
take to transport live stock from an infected
district thus resting under the ban Of the
commissioner Of agriculture whether they
knew it was under the ban or not, the latter
would hold that the publication of this notice
was knowledge to the unfortunate carrier or
producer, and he would be smenable tO its
penalties. But this Is not the most serious
objection to these sections As have said
the final duty Of declaring what district
is infected and give notice of the fact,
so that all transportation of live stock
from or to it shall cease, rests upon the
commissioner agriculture. and the in
formation, / again repeat, upon which
he acts and must act in thus throwing ban
over any portion of the country which he
pleases, thus destroying the value OF its
products; runs back to the twenty persons
own furnish this information, and
who thus hold in their hands
not only the values of the live stock
over wide extents of country, but at the same
time of the great carrying interests through
out the states alleged to be infected by these
communicable and contagious diseases. Any
unconspicuous and cheap and unintelligent
gentleman fortunate enough 10 be one of the
twenty persons selected by the commissioner
Of agriculture holds in his hands no only the
live stock, but the carrying interes ts Of this
country, and there is no man or set Of men
who possesses power approaching this in ex-
tent, nor would this or any other congress
dream, if the proposition were directly and
distinctly made Of placing in the hands of
any twenty men in this world the power to
control interests so vast in magnitude and
with which the general interests of the coun-
try are so intimately interviewer.
We are satisfied that this bill has not re-
ceived a careful and analytical examination.
We are satisfied that senators who have al
ready expressed themselves as In favor Of some
legislation upon this subject, impelled, per-
haps, by apprehensions of danger to the live
stock of the country, will see, when they
come to carefully consider this bin, that 1t
does not quiet, but IL foments agitation, that
1t does not bring repose to the cattle interests
agitates them.
The total live stock interests of the United
States runs into the millions, as covered by
this bill. Whatever of diseases of an infec-
tious character have prevailed among our
cattle have been brought hero from abroad
by the shipment OF foreign cattle here; but
still, as have already said, the interests that
| represent would entirely indorse aud ap-
prove general legislation of the character
that have indicated; satisfied, as they are,
that there is among our cattle no such con-
tagious or communicable diseases as justify
any general alarm. believing that the crea-
tion of such commission appointed by tho
president, would, after tho most thorough OK
animation justify the feeling of security in
tho general heathfulness of the live stock of
this country, which wo entertain would still
beg to suggest that q much moro efficient
means Of preventing contagion, and much
better than to take up this extraordinary
legislation to stamp ont diseases that do not
exist among our cattle, would be such rigor-
Gus legislation with reference to the impor-
tation of foreign cattle as would efectually
protect our native herds against diseases
which they might bring here.
IL has been suggested that these gentlemen
have been very dilatory in making their
views known. That is true. They are bust
ness mon and unused to the methods of legis-
lation, and in all affairs which do not con-
corn the in terosts that arc Immediately before
them move slowly. Moreover, it did not
occur to them, so clearly did they SEQ tho
dangers Of this proposed legislation that it
was within he range of possibility that such
4 bill could ripen into u law; but there has
been behind this bill and pushing it certain