The Butler weekly times., 1885-04-22
..Cattle Plague in Missouri. :
Ts the People Of -NsSo"rf:

IN view OF recent developments
,,Bci,iug the cattle plague prevailing
!. .ca!lawav county, going 70 show
,.,t the killing Of the '-Asylum
..rd.' has not ob!iteratvd the CON
.,o;on that IT has already made its
,nnearance in another section OF the
.onn,rv that there are still alive in
II. country at least fifteen hundred
,.ad Of cattle that have been exposed
n the disease, and may be already
,ofeeted-lt behooves the people OF
n. State to adopt prompt and effec-
rive measure to stamp out the con-
tagion and prevent its further spread
1t was thought for q time that this
could be accomplished by the promt-
mos Of local lnteress and private en-
ferprise.
An effort has been made to ra.>c
money by voluntary subscription,
but has most slgnally failed. Only
,tew thousand dollars nave been
subscribed( (condihonally),an amount
wholly inadequate to the undertake
iug. Morcy alone will not meet the
eugency. Had we a half million
dollars IN our hands, without the aid
OF legislation to enable Us % apply
the means to the end," we woHId
be helpless. Without leaal au hcr-
ties to examine, appralsc, condemn
and kill infected and exposed cattle
without quarantine regulations,
one county can prevent
the introduction OF exposed or sus-
oected cattle from another; without
the power to confine or distroy eX-
posed cattle, and to dispose OF the
crcasscs IN proper way after being
can DC done to STAY
The tide Of devastation.
Almost evey state and territory III
the Union has such a law, many Of
hem passed under the spur of the
emergency which now lmpei> US.
The magnitude OF the interest in
Fol.ed Justify not only prompt, but
extraordinary measure. " When
We reflect that we have two million
head OF cattle in the State, worth,
It low estimate, seventy million
lollars; that the general spread Of
he disease would result in a Common
md indefinite quarantine against the
State IN every cattle market on the
continent, thereby depreciating at
one fell stroke the value of our cattle
10 one half, or less, to say nothing of
the loss inflicted bv the disease itself
But the depreciation would not only
extend to our cattle but also to our
ands. Who would buy a farm on
which the contagion had existed, or
,ne even in the neighborhood. Not
only SO, but the entire business inter
ests of the State would be, to 4
greater or less extent, affected.
Had our Legislature understood
the facts as they are now known to
exist, 1t would no doubt have met
The eXigencv; but the facts were not
hen fully developed, nor the insid-
ous and destructive character o. the
disease generally understood.
The dread simeon is sweeping
down upon Us. No power is ad-
eqnate 10 meet 1t outside Of oar
Legislature. Let it be convened IL
once and take the necessary steps
Those approving the foregoing
suggestions will take steps at once to
.Ne expression 20 the sentiment OF
ne people OF their counties, bv call
nS public meeting and the alop-
non OF suitable resolutions. or bv
orocuung signatures 10 the enclosed
'etlnon, and forwarding the same as
,ar'Y as practicable to the address OF
ne Governor at Jefferson City. Mo.
Very ReSp't.
7. McBLAI\E.
O. GITIT