The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-02-12

The suppression of legitimate trade between
Cuba and Florida ports will give birth to
smuggling trade that the whole United states
Navy would be unable to suppress. 1t would
only be another instance of where prohlbi'ton
does not prohibit.-Arcadia Arcadian.
We have had some conception of the
wea kness and unfitness of our navy, as 1T
was crippled and destroyed under the
jobbery and neglect of Radical rule, and
have had four years of hope inspired by
the efforts of Democratic administration
to rebuild our navy, and place the ma
TONS maritime forces and equipments on
an equality with the navies of the nations
of the world, if not to make it superior;
and now to be told by the Arcadian that
the U. S. Navy would be unable to pre-
vent the encroachments of smugglers and
pestlence from the little and oppressed
island of Cuba is a blow we did not ex-
pect from member of our own house
hold.
This brings us to consider very i'm
portant subject, namely, the necessity for
a patrol of the coast of Florida-east,
south and west-from, say, the 2Sth de-
gree of latitude on both sides of the Pc
ninsula by United States Revenue boats,
armed and equipped for the purpose of
breaking up the reported smuggling con-
stantly practised along that coast, and
which promises to increase greatly since
the introduction of the mandatory of
cigars so largely from Cuba or Havana
tobacco.
This is constitutional prerogative and
duty Of the National Government, and is
not only in the interest of revenue, nor
yet of Florida alone, but of the WHOLE
UNION. The sea ports of South Florida
are destined and sure to become the en-
trepots from all the West Indies, Central
and part of South America, as well as
Mexico, to some extent. With these
countries abides the vomito or dread vel
low fever, and during the heated term,
when the development of this fatal
scouge, bearing dismay, terror and bust
ness death upon its invisible flight, and
its Introduction through Florida into
other States of the Union is almost sure,
for science so far has failed to stop or i'm
pede the march of the "pestilence which
walketh in darkness and wasteth at
noon.' Therefore, the governments of
both Nation and State should see to it
that our extended coast is safely and
thoroughly guarded by night and by day.
The National Government should cause
the officers of Customs and their agents
to enforce the very strictest quarantine
from the middle of Nav to the first of
October, upon penalty Of berg promptly
removed for neglect. And one of the best
clauses our present Legislature could pos
slbly put into any health law they may
enact. Is that certain coast watch be
appointed for the purpose of detecting
any acts Of smuggling, however long
after the act itself, and bring the snug
gler, seller and purchaser, to the courts,
and make either act felony, with pun
ishment by confinement at hard labor in
the State prison for term Of years. A
statute might also be enacted providing
for the confscation and sale of all vessels
with their goods and effects, when caught
by the State authorities in the act, or in
attempts to smuggle, and the proceeds of
all sales to be divided-one-half to the
parties making the capture and the other
half to go into the health fund of the
county in which, or off which, the detec-
ton is made. How far this might inter
fere or clash with the rights and powers
of the National government, we are not
at this writing prepared to say, but surely
the government would not object to the
cooperation Of State within her own
borders in the prevention of smuggling
and the consequent introduction Of deadly
pestilence.
WHAT BONDS WILL DO,