The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-10-15
Thslsmorrat-S Star
THE QUESTION OF QUARANTINE.
yickshurg Herald.


vlcksburg Herald.
The Washington Post says that the
general government should take MI.
s0lute charge OF quarantine regula.
tions. or 1t should withdraw from Tho
field" 1t would be diticult to effect
such abdicati0n Of police powers by
the State, county and munlcipal
authorities, consistently with our
theories OF government. And vet
what has been witnessed In this State
in the past tea days, 10 q pOtent areu.
ment for the change. II has been
confusion worse COMPOUNDED. The in.
dependent. conflicting, ana In the
main purely selfish, local Quarantine
regulations have been little creditable
to the Intelligence or humanity Ut the
panic stricken communities.
In despite OF the theories above re.
ferred to, all intelligence Is bound TO
admit that something needs To be done
To secure the best protection against
the 0ner0us and trying infiction the
South - undergoing. Just now the
sta Pile crop should be moving, trade In
every city and town should be boom.
ing. PROFESSIONALLY all has not been
done that common sense and thorough
preventive regulation cnuld have done.
In avcrting the paralysis that reigns
instead. And to this the country will
be liable every year, until a better and
more complete plan Of fever exclusion
has been devised. This IL not possible
without some concession or surrender
OF local powers. To be reliable and
efficient, there needs unity and uni
fOrmlty OF Jurisdiction, control and
direction, Of quarantine management
ut all Of the ports and points Of en-.
trance to our Southern border. As the
Post says, 1t Is better thai the Federal
government should retire altogether
than to exercise u limited authority.
II 1t quit the tcld altogether, the
country dependent would not rcpose
In n false security. As u Ia the OF.
lcials OF the various Gulf States, when
the fever gets in throw the blame and
responsibility TN the general govern.
ment's quarantine; or on one another.
h As to the local guarantees. their NC.
tiOn after the outer line Of defense has
been forced, Is In n great measure cha
otto and barbarOus. Each county and
town exercises absolute power Us to
each seems bcst-wholly regardless in
most cases Of the rights and the
l%humanitics due their ~neighhors.
Commerce and mails, travel and trade,
are interrupted and destroyed without
and against reason. Things are done
on every hand that are assuredly not
essential or i%ntelligently aimed. to
preventing the spread OF pcstilence.
The State should nv least interfere To
the extent OF securing here ton, uni.
fOrMity OF rules and u common system
OF enforcement.
The following will illustrate the
need III sOme such action rs that sug.
gcstcd. Doubtless y Thousand occur
rcnces could be cited. equally senseless
and iniuman as this told by the Port
Gibson Rcvcille:
"Mi. John Anderson. living near
, Carlisle. this county, will not SION for.
get The experience of the past week.
On last Wednesday he left Arkansas.
Being told he would not be allowed to
get nfI ut Port Gibs0Hhc purchased a
ticket for lnglcsidefsfx miles north0 f
town. but his health certificates and
letters indicating where his move.
mcntS had been would mt protect
him, would receive M notice; and he
was told to get in the middle Of the
track and move On. lie WIS stopped
on the northern edge Of town. Aged
aud sick. not rcing able to see anyone
he knew and his Danish tongue hcins
against him, he sank down near the
railroad track hungry and exhausted.
lie gave a colored man a dollar to in
form the chaneery clerk Of his plight,
which the man kept without perfornl'
the mission. Another ncEr0thrcatcii.
ed his life II he remained there any
longer. His condition Became known
Sunday night In Mr.. Ad0lrh Wagner
who, accompanied by the county
health officer and Mr.. Julius Lund,
went out abUut midnight to where
Mr.. Anderson was and sent him out TO
his home in a hack. For two DAYS
and nights lie had been without shell
ter and food. and his quarantine came
I. near fixing the guilt Of . tragedy On
somebody.