The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-23
cAFFERY ON THE QUARANTINE.
WANTS 1T PLACED N CONTROL OF
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Authority should Rest Upon Cen
trail Authority-UnifOrm of Act
ion Needed in Guarding Against
Disease-Statc Qunrantines De-
clared Utterly Inefficient and Pow
erIess Against Yellow Fever.
washington. March 22.-The feature oil
the Senate proceedings to-day was an eA-
tended speech by MT. Caffery of Louisiana
in support of the pending national quaran-
tine bill In the course of his argument
MIR. Caffery said that ne wanted the Whole
quarantine power in the hands OF the
United STATES government, the only au-
thority which could make a quarantine
effective. and he added that he was as
staunch states rights advocate as any
man.
we want" said he, "a central quaran-
tine authority upon which responsibility
may rest We want uniformity of action
in this matter of quarantine regulations,
backed by such financial and legal power
as viii enable the authorities to cope with
the dread diseases which are likely to
ravage the country
Mr. Bacon of Georgia interrupted Mr..
Caffery TO inquire whether he would OBJ
ject to the following amendment to the
pending Dill: Nothing in this act shall
be construed to interfere with the right
of any state or municipality TO protect its
citizens from infectious, contagious or cpl
siemic diseases by such rules and regula-
lions as the authorities of said state or
municipality may deem necessary"
This amendment will be proposed by Mr..
Bacon.
In reply TO Mr. Bacon's inquiry Mr..
Caffery said he saw no objection to the
terms of the amendment as he understood
il. If the state or municipal powers were
sufficient he said, he would not insist that
the national authority should he para
mount, but II was evident that state and
municipal authorities were unable TO prop
erly cope with epidemics.
In conclusion, after speaking for nearly
three hours, MIR. Caffery said that state
guarantees were utterly inefficient ana
powerless against an epidemic of yellow
fever. Under this inefficient state quaran-
tine system, he had known the most bru.
tai and savage acts 10 be performed 70
had himself, he said, been accosted by pet
~ quarantine officers with shotguns Foi
the exercise Of that kind of state police
power he had no use and no regard. He
desired that the whole question should be
handled scientifically, so that power and
authority should be provided that would
be adequate TO cope with yellow fever,
cholera and other like diseases
Mr.. Carter of Montana began a speech
in support of the bill to provide a civil
government for the district of Alaska, but
had not concluded when the morning hour
expired.
MIR. Gallinger of New Hampshire, who
recently returned from trip TO Cuba, an
nouuced that yielding to the kind solicita-
tons of many senator's he would to-mor-
row. Immediately after the morning bust
ness had been transacted, briefly address
the Senate upon his observations in Cuba,
unless meantime something should occur
TO prevent it.
Mr.. Foraker of Ohio presented the Gre
dentials of his colleague, MIR. Hanna foi
the term as United States senator, cover
ing six years from March 4, 1899. The Gre
dentials were read and ordered filed
At 4:s0 o'clock, on motion of Mr. Chand-
Ter of New Hampshire, the Senate went
into executive session, and afterwards ad-
lourned.