The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-17
A SYSTEM OF QUARANTINE.

The ill-advised conflict which DR.. Jen-
kins brought on some two weeks back
between the Federal and State authori-
ties respecting the quarantine of New
York harbor caused us at the time to
make an elaborate review of the whole
subject wherein we showed that the mat
ter is one wholly under the jurisdiction
and control of the Congress of the United
States Power is conferred by the Con-
sttution on Congress to regulate COM
merce between this country and foreign
countries and between the States of this
country. Congress may refuse or fail to
act upon any matter pertaining either to
foreign or domestic commerce and during
the time Of its inaction the State legisla-
lures may provide rules affecting some
matters of both domestic and foreign
commerce, of which quarantine regula-
ton are one. But when it suits the
pleasure or convenience of Congress TO
act upon the subject, all State regula-
tons heretofore existing are suppressed
and swept away by the act of Congress,
and the law provided by it must be
obeyed in all quarters of the United
States.
This is the wisest provision of our
Constitution and its wisdom is demon
strated nowhere more clearly than in ref
erence TO the matter of quarantine.
There is no act of Congress on the sub
iect now, consequently we have one set
of rules for the port of New York, an
other for that of Baltimore and others
in each State, when there should be one
uniform code of rules applicable alike and
at the same time in every part of the
United States and enforced by the Cen
eral Government supplied with abundant
machinery and agents for every possible
emergency.
The risk which the country is now sub
jected to of a cholera epidemic will not
have been incurred without profit if it
arouses Congress to the necessity of
taking hold of this subject at once and
dealing with it thoroughly and compre-
hensively. We hope to sec it taken hold
Of as soon as Congress meets and legis-
lation adopted that will be adequate TO
dealing with such an emergency as we
had recently and now have, in way be-
fitting the awful nature of the case.
The subject is one, too. which may very
we'll be considered from a much wider and
broader point Of view. The home of chol-
era is the delta of the Gauges. There ii
starts and thence it proceeds on its fatal
mission all over the face of the globe to
destroy more human lives than war A
distinguished and learned Russian, a
pure Cossack, DR.. Peter ]. Popoff, who
has made America his home, writes to
the New York Sun on this subject We
make the following extract from his let
ter:
"A sanitary Gordon should be estab-
lished in the delta of the Gauges. Is il
not an international crime to let cholera
ravage the world over? In case of
cholera the solidarity of interests of all
civilized nations is self-eyident Why,
then, do they not unite in establishing
some measures that would tend to keep
the plague at its home for good? This
Is an opportune time to raise the question
OF an International Anti-Cholera Con-
gress. If Europe, up to this day, has
not done anything of the kind, why
should not we, the Americans, raise this
vital question:"
If all the civilized nations of the world
would unite in measures for confirming
this scourge of mankind to its home, it
could no doubt be accomplished and prob
ably the cause of il could be eradicated.
1t is worth the attempt.