The age-herald., 1898-01-20
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS.

the smallpox epidemic emphasizes the need of the south of a national quar- antine system. If any further em-
 phasis Is necessary. the absolute faith of
 the people of this section in the ability of
 the national authorities to stamp out smallpox is furnished as positive proof.
 The tremendous pity of the matter lies in the fact that pr. Magruder was not sent south early in the history of the present contagion, before business was paralyzed, as was the case last August, and previous to the expenditure of large sums of money
 by the municipal and county officials in their effort to control it. The authorities
 did their utmost to rid the city and county of the disease; spent thousands of dollars for the benefit of the citizens, but all to little purpose Only the strong arm of the national government is equal to the task of stamping out smallpox when it has gained such headway. Since the coming of pr. Magruder the people are pursuing the even tenor of their way in all the various walks
 of life, with profund faith in the final out come.
 In Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and every other southern state liable to be af- fected with epidemics of yellow fever the citizens have become very weary with the unfortunate bickerings of different com- munities and the mental density of certain
 boards of health which never seem able to distinguish between canned salmon den- que and yellow fever until the cemeteries begin to grow populous
 The petty battles waged by the various cities as to whether they have contagious ailments would spread in towns in certain attitudes and all the other offensive incidents accom- panying yellow fever epidemic cause the vast majority of southerners to advocate warmly national quarantine. which will place all communities upon the same basis and prevent a repetition of the internicins
 warfare which prevailed in various sec tions last autumn.
 By the adoption of a national quarantine
 it will become possible to keep from the gulf and Atlantic coasts the germs of fe-
 yer, which invariably are imported from foreign shores. Should there appear few cases in coast towns the national authori-
 ties will in all probability be able to pre- vent the contagion reaching inland towns. No matter how alert and thorough state
 
 tends to the borders of their own common
 wealths, while, perhaps, just across the imaginary lines separating the states, there may be an utter disregard of sanitary and quarantine regulations. This condition of affairs of necessity limits the power for good of the most energetic and careful off, cers in the adjoining states
 Without absolute unanimity of action throughout the gulf states it is impossible to prevent serious epidemics of fever when the disease once appears on the coast. The number of railways traversing every section of the country; the rapid transit. and universal travelling, have made essen- tial the adoption of methods never before desired. The present constant intermin- gling of humanity. the never-ceasing con- tact of all grades of people, render state quarantine one of the most difficult of mod ern problems, while the attitude of certain cities in the last epidemic indicates that the national quarantine is needed for a proper instruction of their boards of health and the regulation of a belligerent citizens.
 Another advantage of national quaran- tine is the power it would possess to com- pei the cleaning up of some of the very dirty old towns on the Gulf coast, which have thus far resented all suggestions of the necessity of improved sanitary meas ures. There are certain southern towns, beautiful with great oak and magnolia trees; redolent with the odor of roses and jassamines, and vibrant with the warble of birds, yet are perfect death traps, be- cause of antedeluvian, prehistoric sewer age systems, and the accumulation of dis gusting dirt.
 From such towns there have gone forth in the past epidemics of fever which have devastated thousands of homes in various parts of the south. If town is indiffer- ent to cleanliness, it is eminently well to have the national government take hand in its affairs, and protect the rest of the nation from disease, by compelling up-to- date methods to be adopted
 The Caffery bill, advocating a national quarantine, is of the utmost importance to the south, and should receive the votes of every southern member of congress-
 The representatives from Alabama will certainly be in line with the majority of their. constituents if they advocate the passage OI tnlS Dlll. Wllu d very leW eX- captions. the entire press of Alabama calls for the national quarantine.
 Among other advantages to be derived from the national quarantine is that of putting a period forever to one or more cities claiming exemption from the dan ger of fever epidemics, and in defiance of state regulations, and all the rules of com mon sense, inviting refugees to flee to their protecting arms, thereby demoralizing the best plans, and affording opportunity for the further spread of disease. The south needs a national quarantine more than any number of quarantine conventions.
 Another phase of this question is the amount of money that will be saved to the different southern states by the adoption of a national quarantine system. There will not be any further necessity for "health fund" and the school fund of Ala