The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-31

Our Dependence Upon Quarantine.
This country is almost wholly dependent
upon quarantine for protection against
cholera. IL seems that the President he's no
authority to close our ports against immi-
grants. By some unaccountable oversight
there is no authority lodged anywhere to
shut out immigrants from infected ports.
The important question then that presents
itself Ia this: Can the quarantine at each Of
our ports be depended upon TO do all that
can be done to keep cholera out OF the coun-
tryi
DR.. Joseph Holt, who brought 10 It's pres
ent completeness the quarantine at New
Orleans. has very little confidence In the
quarantine at most OF the other ports. He
is quoted as expressing the following opinion
Of the guarantees at the different ports:
"As for New York and other ports along
the Atlantic seaboard, excepting Charleston,
=. C., their methods and equipments are
wofully inadequate to their necessities
| They are, In fact as revealed by this
emergency, mere political office rewarding
stations, whose methods are q pertunctory
make believe to hoodwink the public with
a show OF Importance, while in fact they
lack every essential Of scientific require
ment and trustworthiness.
It 10 only natural that DR.. Holt should
think the quarantine at New Orleans Is
better than any other in the country, but
there is, undoubtedly, some truth in what
he says. In our dispatches yesterday there
was a statement to the effect that vessel
from Liverpool bound for Philadelphia, with
200 immigrants from Hamburg on board,
passed the quarantine station at the Della
ware breakwater without stopping. 1t
seems that the quarantine officer thought
the weather was a little too rough for him
to venture out to the ship, which proceeded
on her way to the state quarantine station,
ten miles below Philadelphia
Only day or two ago 1t was announced
that the government had put the quaran-
tine station at the breakwater In the best
condition in order that it might afford Phil
adeIphia ample protection. 1t seems, how
ever, that the right sort Of men are not in
charge of 1t. The steamer with the Ham
burg immigrants should not have been PERI
mitted to approach SO close TO Philadelphia.
1t looks as if there were good deal OF truth
III WHAT LII. I1OlG says Vi bOLno VI VIC 4uhA
antine stations.
The trouble with the quarantine at some
of the ports is that the men whose duty it
IS to enforce the quarantine regulations are
inefficient. They are appointed without
any regard to their fitness for the duties re-
quired OF them. The welfare of millions of
people is intrusted to men who are placed
in positions Of great responsibility through
favoritism or political influence.
II all the ports are guarded against the
introduction Of the plague except one the
country is practically not protected at all,
because the disease, if introduced through
that port, is pretty certain to spread
throughout every state.
1t will be interesting to hear what excuse
the head of the marine hospital service will
give for the failure to stop the ship with the
Hamburg immigrants at the Delaware
breakwater quarantine station. Unless the
excuse is very satisfactory one confidence
in the efficiency OF federal quarantine will
be greatly, shaken,