The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-12-02
Thr1emnrrAf-S Star
HOW o TO DO IT.
Why the Memphis Quarantine Con-
vention Proved a Failure.
Memphis Scimltar.

Memphis Scimltar,
On the day the national q~uarantin,
convention met the Sclmitar said thar
the convention would have two thing,
70 consider in undertaking To fotmu
late a proper system Of defense f0i
the health and business Of tie coun
try, viz; How To Do 1t and How
Not To Do 1t.
The convention has chosen the lat
ter, and the proof appears in the re,
solution adopted at yesterdays SEES
sion: When the county Dr. r. B.
Maury characterized them as "Utop-
ian, vague, visionary and impractil
cable" he employed euphemisms TO
gloss over the extremely OF his disap-
pOintment and dissatisfaction. In
truth, the mountains labored and
brought forth a mouse.
The resolutions are neither fish,
flesh, fowl nor good red herring.
They mean-iu go far as they may be
said to have any meaning at all-that
Congress shonid abolish the Marine
Hospital Service aud provide more
offices for Governors OF States to be-
stow upon their favorites. They rec
ommend a Bureau Of Public Health"
to csSume the functions now per.
formed by the Marine Hospital Ser
vice, this bureau to be assisted by an
advisory council" TO be appoint
ed by the authorities" of different
States; but this bureau is to have no.
power not now exercised by the Mar
inc Hospital Service, and just what
part the advisers" are to play be-
yond drawing such salaries as may be
allowed them does not appear.
The State and local Boards of
Health are not to be curtailcd of any
of their power for mischief, it APP
pears, and are to 20 on repeating the
wretched failures that have marked
their former efforts to cope with cpl
demic diseases, such as yellow fever
and cholera. Which means that the
shotgun will still be king of the quar-
tine.
IT may be taken for granted that
Congress will pay no attention to any
such suggestion. 1t will either pass il
national quarantine law or non
Doubtless this condition is fully I'M
dcrstood by resolutions. They could
not venture to flout the intelligence
of The country by ind0rsing the pres
ent order of things, so they put on
record a substitute that should be
certain to ''die.a-bornin." The fact
that a change Of some kind was con
ceded to be necessary was in effect a
confession on their part that the pres
cnt State and local schemes of quar-
antine fail to afford protection to the
country, and should be replaced with
Il general system directed from a
common centre. This has been the
main contention OF the national quar-
antine advocates, and it is worthy of
remark that no attempt to c%ontr0vcrt
it was made on the floor of the con-
veiti0n.
The defeat of the object OF the con-
vention was due to the fooly Of com
missioning as delegates, in addition to
the legitimate delegations, members
Of State Boards Of Health who had a
and pecuniary interest in
securing such a result. Their votes
and influence brought this conven-
bion to naught, just as they did that
at Mobile, and just as they probably
will in every similar case hereafter.
is about as much sense in in
these salaried State and munci-
Pal doctors to a national quarantine
convention as there would be in in
dyed-in-the-w0ol goldbugs to a
convention called to further the free
silver cause.
There is one consolation for the ad-
OF a system Of quarantine
protection that will protect-they can
stand the shotgul guarantees as well
Is Others.
But it was a glorious victory for
fellow Jack and the political doc ;
.Ors.