The record-union., 1892-09-16
CHOLERA AND FEDERAL POWER.

Health has officially expressed, but all
too mildly, the surprise that has been en-
tertained by nearly all people why the
cholera-infected ships were not sent back
TO Europe, instead of being cooped up in
the lower bay of New York. He excuses
himself and the board from sharp criti-
cism of the matter, because of non-in-
formation as to the international law of
the case.
He expresses the common sense of the
situation when he says that the humane
thing would have been to turn the ships
back, rather than confne the well and
the sick on shipboard in quarantine
at New York, and he sensibly adds that
their chances would have been better
In Hamburg, whence they came.
We have already remarked upon the
exceedingly singular situation of the Fed
eral Government in this matter 1t ap-
pears to be absolutely unable, because of
ridiculous sentiment about States
rights, to prevent whoever pleases dump
ing any manner of filth into the United
States. Let US look at it squarely and as
sensible people. Besides six others with
six thousand passengers, here is the ship
Bohemia hourly expected to arrive at
F.. New York from Hamburg with seven
hundred immigrants, shipped when the
plague was at its hight. We knew that
the steamer was about to sail, but did not
warn her owners. We were informed by
telegraph that she had sailed. We knew,
reasonably, days ago, that she was prob
ably floating hell of pestilence. Yet, in
stead of following the example of other
nations and placing ship of war to in
tercept her and turn her back, we await
with paihd faces for her arrival to swell
the colony of sufferers in quarantine and
to increase the liability of the plague
spreading all over the land.
If there is any international law, any
treaty or obligation that renders us help
less to exclude such plague ships and pre-
fOAAt bAOAA 4SNNALS ALL Jul pOIlSs II Is All
absurdity and disgrace to civilization.
But there is no such law; there are no
such treaties; the whole miserable BUSH
ness begins and ends in the statement
that a false conception of the sovereignty
of the States, entertained by lot of fos-
silized politicians, puts ball and chain
upon the power of the nation to protect
the people. If it were not so there would
have been legislation in Congress long
ago to meet such situations as that of the
present.
But the boyle man of Capitalization
scares the Democratic party out of what
little wit it ought to possess, likewise it
has the rabies of economy, and puts Mr.
Holman of Indiana forward to choke the
life out of the bill lately introduced to
supply means to prevent steamships
from bringing in infectious diseases.
This Mr.. Holman proceeded to accom-
plish, and in common justice and court
esq the cholera ought to pay him and the
Democratic majority an early visit of
congratulation.
1t is rank absurdity and nonsense to
say that the States have reserved to them
selves the sole right to manage those
matters arising out of the assault by dis
ease. The power is constitutionalIy
lodged in Congress to regulate commerce;
it, therefore, has the power to so regulate
that commerce shall not become the in
strument of its own destruction, which
it does when its carrier ships become
floating heIls of plague.
No State right involving any sover-
eighty whatever is invaded or conceded
by justifying the Federal Government in
protecting our ports with ships of war
from invasion by vessels laden with
cholera. 1t is simply impossible for the
States of the Union to act by concert in
excluding disease threatening by ocean
or upon long land borders. But the Fed
eral Government. being one single au-
thority, acting for all the States, ought to
be able to completely isolate the Nation,
if need be. IF it has not that power now,
it will have it. The American people
will not permit an old-time Democratic
fad to run away with common sense.