The age-herald., 1897-12-14
THEY ARE OPPOSED ID CUBAN FREEDOM Some Southern Members Object
 to BeIligerency. FORGE OF BLOW WOULD FALL On Southern Interests and Would Para
 lyze Cotton Trade. FIGHT TO BE MADE IN THE CAUCUS To Prevent the Democratic Party From PIedging Itself to the Cause. INTEREST IN THE QUARANTINE BILL Which Was Introduced in the Senate by Calf fiery and in the House by Hepburn to
 Grant Additional Powers to the
 National Quarantine.
To Prevent the Democratic Party From
 Hedging Itself to the Cause.
INTEREST IN THE QUARANTINE BILL
Special to The Age-Herald.

Special to The Age-Herald.
 Washington, Dec. 13.-Some of the south ern delegates are bitterly opposing the sug- gestion that the democratic caucus tomor- row evening bind the members of the party to work and vote for the recognit' o1 of Gu ban independence. At a first glance this Cuban matter looked like, and perhaps is good political policy, but its result on the south, if carried through, will prove more disastrous than to any other part of the country, so certain of the southern mem bers of the cotton belt think.
 Prevent Arbitrary Action.
 "At any rate, said one of the southern members of the foreign affairs committee, i've will try to prevent the caucus taking any arbitrary action in the matter If bel ligerency is ever declared the whole force of the blow will fall on the south. It will paralyze our entire cotton trade. The Span ish would not even have to blockade the different ports on the gulf But they could ruin our gulf commerce by merely patrol ling the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. Marine insurance rates on cotton would go to such a point as to practically make insurance impossible. The south has been hit hard enough already without advocat- ing a policy which would mean complete ruin to our chief staple in trade. We will advise the caucus against binding us on this question, but whether we will succeed is still very doubtful"
 Interest in Quarantine Bill.
 The bill which is just now the subject of chief interest among the southern mem bers of congress is that introduced in the senate by Senator Caffery and in the house by Representative Hepburn, to amend the national quarantine law by granting addi- tional quarantine powers and imposing ad- ditional duties upon the marine hospital service.
 The bill enlarges the sea coast duties of the marine hospital service and aims to make more stringent the enforcement of regulations for the prevention of the in- : troduction of infectious or courageous dis eases into the United States from foreign lands. The feature of the bill, which. is most notable and which is causing the southern members most concern is that which makes the United States quarantine rules and regulations supreme after an infectious disease has made it's appear ance in any state and which shall super cede all state and municipal rules and regulations so far as the movement of in- terstate commerce is concerned. It seems probable that this bill which is in line with the earnest recommendation of Surgeon General Wyman, Secretary Treasury Gage, and the president, and which has been demanded by commercial bodies and the commercial interests generally of the country will pass.
 Senator Caffery Talks.
 "I think there is no doubt but that the bill will become law" said Senator Caffery today when asked concerning his measure "Its provisions are plainly warranted by the interstate commerce clause of the con- stitution. It contemplates control over only the interstate movement of passen- gers and commerce, and there is no req sonable ground for objection to the bill for any invasion of states rights"
 s.It provides, in the first place, for an im- provement of the quarantine service on the coast, and it's chief object is to prevent the introduction of infectious diseases into this country, that prevention is looked up- on as the great desideratum, but once the disease has gotton into the country, the object of the bill is to prevent it's spread, and at the same time to prevent unneces- sary restrictions on interstate commerce, which has so invariably resulted in the past from unreasonable rules made by unnecessarily alarmed communities. In such times the law would simply say that a cargo of a passenger having bills of health from the marine hospital officer at any infected point should not be interfered with in being moved from the infected point into another state.
 Another desirable accomplishment of the bill would be uniformity in quarantine laws in times of epidemic. At present the several states and largely the several mu- nicipalities have different quarantine rules and regulations Under the proposed law the rules and regulations prepared by the secretary of the treasury would be univer- sally applicable and would soon become known to all communities and the travelling and shipping public.
 The southern members will meet this week in caucus to decide just how far they will go in the matter of federal quarantine or if they will support the Coffey bill.
 Anxious For Short Session.
 Speaker Reed is anxious for another saort