The morning call., 1892-09-13

The gravity Of the cholera situation in
the harbor of New York continues to aug
menr. 1t is both a question of divided
authority and no authority. No person in
power has full unquestIoned command.
The Governor of New York should reign
over Long Island, but he finds his authority
defied when he purposes 10 land saloon pas
sengers on Fire Island for quarantine. The
whole island has been acquired by the State
Board of Health. but proprietorial rights
are not believed in by the neighborhood.
when accompanied by the risks Of cholera.
The Long Islanders are fighting on land
that does not belong TO them, as If the pas
sengers were invaders, and not like them
selves, for the most part, American citizens.
Should there be any cholera among the
patients, the reslstants are likely to catch
it and carry it off into the interior of Amer
lea without any quarantine check. Thus
far for mob commoD-sense and generosity.
The State militia may be called out TO cor
rect these alterations bordering upon in
sanity. Fire Island lies we'll off the main
land, and is a most suitable place for quar-
antine. What crazy selfisbness 1t Is that
few cott1gers, farmers and pleasure-seekers
on Long Island should, by stupid scare,
place in jeopardy the health Of whole COM
munity.
President Harrison has sounded a note OF
warning to the steamship companies bring
ing immigrants to the United States from in-
fected ports. He tells the companies, through
Secretary Foster, that immigration should
stop and warns them that if they do not
stop the United States may be compelled to
turn back pest-laden vessels. That would
be drastic but an effectual remedy The
moment such a proclamation Is issued the
companies would drop immigrant traffic.
The sooner the President issues his procla-
m o. n a haffn 90
the companies do not carry steerage passen-
gers on their different steamers, but they do
not scrnpie to send immigrants across the
Atlantic on slow cargo steamers, about
the detention Of which they are Indifferent.
1t is greed, pure and simple, that prompts
them to this. But 10 more of it should be
permitted.
There is now refusal on the part of the
railroad and inland navigation companies
to transport immigrants. This leaves many
fresh arrivals in very sorry plight. but it
is very much better that the majority should
be protected than that they should proceed
to their destination. The various States
require medical-certicate guarantee of
good health, and this is out OF the question.
So the companies prefer not to run the risks
OF blockade against passengers.
The cholera has had the effect of dimin-
ishiDg the consumption of fruit in the East,
and prices are disappointingly low. The
belief is that fruit at this season, when the
Asiatie pest bids fair to pass the Gordon
around the ports. should be eaten only very
sparingly or not at all. This, of course, is
a stupid alimentary error where there are
no cases of the disease in evidence, but the
fear-stricken public act upon the opinion as
If 1t were going to save their lives when the
cholera does. come. The true advice to
people is to live nationally and naturally,
and, above all, not to be continually under
excitement as to what is to happen. Even