The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-01
THE CHOLERA.

The progress of the cholera in Europe is
a repetition OF the experience of 1S4S-49 aud
1919 1t appears to have two main CEN
tiers Of distribution, st. Petersburg and
Hamburg. From the former it seems to be
making its way into the northwestern
provinces of Russia, though few dispatches
from that section report its progress From
Hamburg it has spread to Antwerp, and The
Hague in Holland. to Brussels in Belgium,
TO Darmsladt Ludwigslust, Barmbeek,
Altoona, Leipsic Neustadt, Berlin, IN Ger
many. A few cases are reported from Lon
don and Paris, but the greatest efforts are
being made by the authorities 20 conceal
them Il is noticed that every case is traced
to the arrival of somebody from Hamburg,
as thou Oh tie seaport on the Eibe had an
exclusive emporium of cholera germs.
In the meantime in this country the
boards of health are bestirring themselves
actively. We are told that GORDON Of in
spection and disinfection is being rapidly
established along the coast from Maine to
Louisiana, that collectors of customs have
been directed everywhere TO exereise:vigi-
lance in examining immigrants aud their
effects. ana that special inspectors have
been appointed, not only on the seaboard,
but also on the Canadian and Mexican from
tiers A number of steamers laden with
immigrants are held in quarantine at New
York ana Philadelphia, and the Boards Of
Health in those cities and in Chicago are
having the streets ana yards cleaned by
gangs Of men amply supplied with carts and
disnfectiug fluid. Nothing further in the
way Of precaution can be done, unless we
shut the United States out from the rest Of
! -;.-.l Of
so long as the danger lasts.
There Appeals to be a lawyer of the name
of Morse at Washington who questions the
right Of the President to lay an embargo
on immigration. and holds that duty belongs
to the states. This learned pundt must be
a descendant OF the Spanish courtier who
insisted that. the King Of Spain must be
allowed to burn To death when the tail of
his royal robe took fire, because there was
no one present Of sufficiently noble birth 10
throw 4 pail of water over him. At crisis
when human lie is trembling in the balance
| ii is painful TO raise questions of State
rights. 1t is possible that the beSt-iaid plans
Of quarantine will prove Intellectual as a
means q excluding the pestilence; but until
that Is established, il is the bounden duty
Of all authorities. national, State and NUM-
cipal, to do the utmost TO give them fair
/ trial.
| The country would sustain the President
| if be stopped European immigration al
| together so long as the pestilence RACES, and
1 ordered our consuls in EurOl can ports TO
issue no more cleaTanees to vessels carrying
| passengers II that was done before the
! disease appeared in this country it would be
! the most effectual of ali possible quaran-
! tines. 1t would decide the question whether
the cholera germ is only transmissible in
the persons or clothing of infected persons.
/ Doctors say that it is They trace its march
from lis cradle in Asia to the cities of En-
rope and America by the trail OF human
beings moving west. When the cholera pre-
/ vailed here in 1S49 it followed the Immigrant
trail on The plains; where there was no trail
there was no cholera. Ii il follows the foot
steps Of man, and dies when those footsteps
1 disappear. then il can be extinguished by
/ stopping the movement of human beings,
! and requiring them TO stay where they are.
! That would involve a sacrifice, bqt is not
/ the object worth il?
The cholera IS at present little more than
| a newspaper sensation. 1t has not yet
struck home to any one. But if it comes.
and household after household has to
lament the loss Of its dear ones. it viii be-
come a subject OF such absorbing concern
that nothing else will be thought of.
Those VINO remember the dreadful days
Of 1882 and 1919 recall how, when the
plague had abated, people mOurned over
the neglect of precautions which might
have mitigated its raVages. lf-whict
| heaven forbid-providence has in store fol
Us an other similar visitation, those who
might have warded it off viii be held to &
| strict accounting