Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-01
infected cities or countries will be very
meager indeed"

infected cities or countries will be very
meager indeed"
The Public of Another Mind.
To say that the public generally does not
agree with the halting attitude of the Gov
ernment authorities, in regard to the ad-
mission of immigrants, is putting it very
mildly. Every one who processes to know
anything about the matter, sees a vast diff
| ference between steerage passengers and
those of other classes in connection with the
dangers of the introduction of the cholera.
The former comes as a general thing from
| the crowded portions of the great cities of
the Old World Tney have lived on poor
food, are not in the best condition to fight
against disease, have breathed vitiated at
mosphere to which the atmosphere of the
steerage of the vessel is like gale from
Araby.
All disease hovers over and strikes at the
unclean regions where they have been
crowded together. Their chances of having
been exposed and contaminated by any CON-
tagion, are a thousand times greater in
their case than it is in the case Of the first
or second class passenger. 1 have talked
with number of physicians and Govern
ment officials in regard to this phase of the
danger, and without exception they were OF
the opinion that, as one of the means first
to be taken to prevent the introduction OF
the scourge, immigration ought to be totally
prohibited until all danger is past, be the
period months or years
Too Timid to Speak Openly.
All such persons here are timid about
proclaiming their criticisms against high
officials of the Government in all matters,
but among themselves, and to persons who
will not repeat them, they are unsparing in
their denunciation of the failure of the ad.
ministration to prohibit immigration, in
which the quarantine authorities devote
their whole attention to that class of pas
sengers arriving at our ports who would be
less likely to be contaminated and who
would be likely to remain abroad and on
shore where they could have the best medi-
cal attention, if they had been exposed in
any way to the atmosphere of the disease.
Physicians especially, like that high au-
thority in the medical profession quoted in
these kilograms few days ago, say that
the most rigid quarantine measures will not
prevent the plague if all classes of people
are permitted to cross the ocean and land as
usual. with only the ordinary disinfecting
process which alone would be possible when
the number to be treated is large. If immi-
grants could be excluded, they say, the at
the most thorough disinfecting would be
applied with the utmost care to the other
class of arrivals, while the quarantine au-
thorities will certainly soon become care
less or Indifferent if hundreds of steerage
passengers have to be treated every day.
Barrison's Course Is Criticised.
The President comes in for the lion 8
share OF criticism, for his apparent indiffer-
+o4 bo Tn h.,f for
of imminent danger of the introduction of
plague which may not only result in the
death of tens of thousands, but also in an
almost total paralysis of business for years
and the utter ruin of the Worlds Fair pro-
iect, the President is accused of indulging
in his favorite pastime of fishing and shoot
ing, utterly blind, in his sylvan comfort, as
to what is being done by those who hold
the reins Of Government, and who would
naturally be slow to take any unusual step
in his absence from easy communication
with them.
For DAYS it has been constant wonder
with nearly everybody that Mr. Harrison
did not hasten at once to Washington when
the danger first threatened, that he might
be here to take such measures as he only has
authority to employ: even to the calling of
an extra session of Congress, if that were
9
prohibit immigration.
High Officials Not Easily Alarmed.
Senator Cullum is one of the few who do
not think that it is necessary to prohibit
immigration, but he is almost the only one
in this city who seems to think that way.
He declares that it would be absurd TO call
an extra session of Congress.
1t seems impossible to alarm the very
persons who ought to be alarmed, such as
Congressman and high officials They will
drift easily from discussion of the
cholera to speculation in regard to
the political possibilities, and the
result of the election is
apparently vastly more important to them
than any danger of the cholera, with all its
attendant disasters to the trade and COM
merce of the country. They NAV possibly
wake up when it is too late. and then find
that their carelessness may cost them
dearly at the polls.
There is nothing more certain than that
the President will suffer severely next No
vember if any sensible thing be left un-
done for the prevention of the entrance of
the cholera in case the plague get foot
hold this fall, with prospect of its staying
for two or three years For that reason,
as we'll as for the safety of the country,
Mr.. Harrison's friends are anxious for his
presence here at this critical juncture.