The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-19

I b
nave me presidential and gubern,tasi,
elections tomorrow. or on some n,hsr On VI,
cay so as TO get the benefit OF the 49,,
uemoeratlc majority we have lust Al No
present moment In this CITY.
'"e democratic party is now MS spld as
rsp1l.sr III Louisville and there is a strong
iofsibi,ity OF its absorbing eyerytbi,, n
sight 1t is plain enough now ~ ,hn
haidemans must have given BRYAN ynn,c
| I'VE or SIX thousand majority Ia ISas IL
| ms CITY, but that he was counted ~, nv
me INFAMOUS election officers who madp
the returns. In no other way car we ac
| o""nl lor the fact that so many men voted
lot bryan who have been charged with
| voting for Mckinley and Palmer and p,ci,.
ner. In no other way can we account for
the TACT that the Haldemans know that
.nese men voted for Bryan and are now
prepared TO certify them as straight dem
| ocrats. The Halde.nans have not vet proyea
that they voted for Bryan and free liver
put when the city printing IS to be given
out we expect to see them come right IN
70 the front with certificate from Marx
Rama ana Phanz proving II UP all right
from the Florida Times Union
THE QUARANTINE QUESTloN.-In its
last issue Of October 30 the New York
Herald takes up the advocacy Of a National
quarantine. and discusses the situation
from commercial, social aud sanitary
standpoint, concluding by demanding even
an international" control Of the COM
merce from the quarters where yellow
fever is epidemic. But the Herald, like
all other authorities adopting its views, ig-
nores patent facts and misunderstands
present conditions so utterly as 10 inn
peach any argument it makes on the sub
ject.
The commercial view" it already takes
is evidence of what may come. That Ma
iional control" has already been made to
serve political and commercial ends has al
ready been proved by the Pcayune and
the States OF New Orleans, as quoted in
these columns.
That system utterly failed TO keep out
the disease, but even while doing SO.
wrought great loss to the States Of the gulf
coast. This is simple matter of history
which can not be lost sight of IN any ialr
treatment Of the subject. Why should not
the same system produce the same result?
An international system is siil entirely In
the ART need not be discussed at the
present stage Of the argument. The lives
of our people and their business depend on
our safety from yellow fever. Granting
that the authorities at Washington found
1t possible 10 protect us as our State quar-
antine has done, who can tell what COM
mercial" influence might not be brought to
bear and influence the trade Of the rich
countries south Of us through quarantine
regulations?
The future of Florida largely depends on
our control Of that trade. our situation
makes of this State the natural point OF
trarsfer and exchange for the prOduc ions
OF this country and those of the islands as
we'll as the growing States of South Amer
lea. slight discrimination against us
would turn this increasing commerce from
Florida to the great cities Of New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore. With a Ma
tional quarantine system how couil we
withstand the commercial and political
influence that might be eXerted against MS
by the great States Of New York and Penn
sylvania? The fear is well grounded in the
experience of the passive speak but OF
what we have felt
The Herald boldly asserts that "the
quarantine system, as carried on by The
different States, has been lamentahle
failure" The Herald should know that II
is unfair 10 quote Louisiana Mississippi
and Alabama in this connection, for these
States have practically no system. Flor
ida alone has a quarantine in capable
hands, defended by State law, that has
been safe and effective in the face Of all
the difficulties entailed by Inadequate APP
preparations, lack OF means OF oomnunca-
ton and the necessities Of daily intercourse
at short range with the central point Of
endemic disease. An argument based on
such palpably false ground is convincing
only to ignorance or prejudice.
The Herald says 1t has long advocated
National and international quarantine.
Then there is less excuse for it's Ignorance
part of that time might well have been
spent in getting at least the facts in the
case under consideration. That it should
remain in ignorance OF the practical i'm
munity of some of the islands very near TO
Cuba is a small matter compared to its
refusal TO see the merits of our system
the ruin to us that might follow the intro
duction of quarantine under CONNER
ciaP' or political coutrol-the price TO life
and property that confronts us day ana
night.