The herald., 1893-02-27
THE CHICAGO FAIR.
HOW "a NATIONAL oHoEeRA EPl-
oEMlc WOULD AFFECT IT.


r.
Orf e. o. Shakespeare Cites Precedents to
showsThat We Have Cause for Appre-
hension-@He Iiecernp,epds the stoppage
ofrmmigratiun aud. Other Precautions,
Especial Corraspondence.l
PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 1es@-The necessity
Tor prompt aud effectivep eprecautions against
cholera this year is dependent upon and
proportiohasst to thesreality and the great
ness of the dangers TO which this country
will be exposed.
We can DISCUSS this question reasonably
and rightly estimate fits Importance only by
recurrence to the past history Of cholera in
Europe and In the United States
tits am historical fact that this country
has never suffered from cholera, or had to
defend itself against an invasion of this
plague, except during years when it has
prevailed in some quarter of Europe Il is
also indisputable that no epidemic of chol-
era has ever entirely vanished from Europe
in iesslthan four to twelve years after hav-
ing gained foothold there. 1t is likewise
undeniable that whenever in the past chol-
era has prevailed for two or more years
throughout Russia and central and north
ern Europe especially around thesouthern
shores of the Baltic, the North sea and the
English channel-North America has never
escaped O visitation which has been more
or less disastrous.
Our experience in the past should teach
Us to-b be even more appfehensive this year
than we were during the last autumn, for
heretofore it has always been the second or
third year of prevalence Of cholera in Eu-
rope that has Brought with it the greatest
danger to this country. Indeed only twice
hes cholera ever reached even our quaran-
tine stations during the first year, of the
epidemic in Europe-namely, in 1865 and
1899.
The present persistence OF cholera in Eu-
rope, in spite of cold weather there, is only
a repetition of past experience, and that
past experience constrains all well informed
sanita1fans to feel that there is no satisfac-
tory reason why we may not look for
great outbreak Of the epidemic in many
pa:rts of that continent with the first adj
vent of the warm season.
1t is true thAt We low know much moro
chan was known ut the time Of the previous
Sisltation Of Europe by cholera during 1884
to 1857 of the most efficient means of COM
batting the spread Of this disease, apd we
also know that many European health
authorities are making sanitary improve
ments and organizing for the coming strug-
gle. It might therefore be inferred that
with this more exact Knowledge and this
early preparation the European govern
ments may be able TO much more surely
prevent and control the spread Of the local
epidemics which arc pretty certain to de-
velop next spring and summer.
But the recent experience of Hamburg
which he's juot gone through the most ter
rible epidemic Of cholera that has ever raw
aged that city-and the present persistence
of cholera in Holland, Belgium, France,
Austria and Russia should warn us how de-
lusive that inference may prove and at the
same time incite US to provide promptly
and unstintedly for wise and vigorous
course of defensive action.
The necessity for prompt and effective
precautions against cholera this year re-
gard as exceptionally great.
Enormous Losses to business and trade
would inevitably follow the spread of chol-
era in this country in any ordinary year.
But the introduction and dissemination of
this dreaded plague throughout the United
States this year would certQinly accomplish
the absolute ruination OF the Chicago fair,
and the annihilation Of many hopes and In
terests for our country's good that are CEN
tered in thas great exposition.
We would do we'll to recognize now the
fact, rather than see it too late, that the ex-
istence Of nero handful Of cholera cases
in the city of Chicago during any period of
the fair would not only cause a stampede
of visitors already on the spot, but would
effectually deter hundreds of thousands Of
our own citizens from Drawing the danger
of visit, however small or imaginary that
danger might be.
One greaV benefit to American exhibitors
at Chicago is to be derived from an ocular
demonstration to the people of the South
American continent Of the transcendent
greatness and incalculable richness of OIL
country in brains, energy, ingenuity anl.
exhaustless resources. If any one doubts
that every port on the South American
continent will be closed against the United
States the instant that cholera raises its
head in any of our cities, he has certainly
forgotten the experience of last autumn
and has no proper conception of the pan
.icky and unreasoning fear which the very
name of cholera excites among the nations
south OF U.S.
With the appearance of cholera in a few
of our cities this year the much calculated
upon influence ofs this exposition in broad
enipg and further developing our CONNER
cial relations and in knitting and welding
together tie bonds Of political comfy and
friendliness OF the nations Of the western
hemisphere will utterly vanish.
With hundreds Of thousands Of our own
citizens hesitating TO visit Chicago, and the
South Americans positively fearing to come
because few cases Of cholera may have oc-
CURED, can any one fail to see that our
great fair would become great fiasco9
If the directors Of the fair know 80 little
of cholera as TO laugh at the serious danger
to the vast publio interests which have
been intrusted to them, and unite their in
fuence with that OF the Atlantic steamship
companies and trunk line railroads interest
ed in the profits Of the ocean traffic and in
land transportation of the steerage classes
In opposing absolute and rigid prohibition
during the year Of the Chicago fair Of ad-
mission into the UniEed States of all Euro
peans of the clasa who in ordinary times
cross the ocean in the steerage and travel
by rail on 'im1nigrant trsils," then the
wise and unbiased friends Of the Coium
bian fair should make their voices 80 loud
ly heard in Washington that our national
Legislators cannot mistake the Will of the
people.
II is to be presumed that the directors of
the fair heard before the people did the re-
cent threats Of the Hamburg American,
North German Lloyd and other Atlantic