The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-20
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NATIONAL QUARANTINE.

The effort being made in congress TO
! uslrp the authority heretofore exercised
by the States in the matter of quarantine
is an effort. In effect, to create O vertable
car In this country in the person OF the
surgeon general of the marine hospital
1t would place man at Washington in
charge OF our public health who would be
governed by no local sentiment and amen
able to no local authority for any mis-
fcasancc or non-foasance in office.
1t would ccntralize authority over the
public health OF the South In the person
Of man who might have little sympathy
with the South and who could be intlu-
enced, IL not always an absolutely upright
man, by large interests antagonlstie to the
South, or indifferent, while on the hunt
for trade as TO the protection OF the lives
OF Southern people.
IT is no answer to say that 1t would
hardly be likely that other than a good
man would be chosen for this autocratic
position. We know the weakness OF hui
man nature, and we know the danger In
comforting such czar-lke powers upon a
single Individual There would be the pos
sibiity OF a gross misuse of authority and
M nf mic rio
cause of mourning in ten thousand honest
H.
And why this disposition to deprive the
States of their constitutionally reserved
authority in the premises? Why this
engerneas in some quarters TO sweep away
systems that have protected us FOR twenty
years and Consign the quarantine power %
the keeping Of tho agency that has been
responsible Tor the only outbreaks of yell
low fever experienced In the South during
the period mentioned?
Undoubtedly gross Misrepresentation of
the actual conditions and sentiment in the
South has been INDUCED to enlist assist
ance in congress for this great change The
Post does not hesitate to say that n Com
mercal spirit" Is back of this scheme,
while the existence OF such n spirit in the
South last year Is being deliberately
charged MS the chief reason for the pro-
IN 4.
other day In the senate that he had been
informed that the quarantine had been used
last year for commercial purposes" II
the senator is advocating National quaran-
tine for this reason ne is the dune of n |
base falsehood The very reverse is true
quarantine was a sacrifice of commercial
interests in defense of the public health In
every community where II was adopted.
III.
This bill pending in the senate is SUI |
picious from the fact that It has been In |
troduced by II Louisiana senator II looks |
like an emanntion from the business IN
terests or the Crescent CITY
New Orleans is not afraid Of the yellow |
fever--it is used to II. II IS declared that |
there is always more or less fever there. |
AT any time II is likely to become cpl
demic in that city. The efforts, under such |
circumstances. of other States to protect |
their citizens against New Orleans are Bit |
terly resented, This was the case last year |
when tho Crescent City fumed and fretted |
that trains out OF or Into New Orleans |
wore stopped by Texas. They would leon
ardize the public health OF the South |
rather than see their business stagnant!
When Galveston and Houston were main
tanning their quarantines New Orleans
was crying out that It was for CONNER.
clal advantage" when at the same time
sho was seeking to enter our territory for
commercial purposes even though she
might send an epidemic In the wake Of
her trade!
~.
But assuming that the National quar-.
antine would be in honest hands and that
Senator Vests city. St. Louis. or New
Orleans, or the railways interested In
Keeping open the various routes to ana
from the gulf ports. could not influence
Federal action. would we have the actual