Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-23
SENATOR CAFFERY ARGUES FOR
NATIONAL QUARANTINE.
SAYS STATES ARE P0WERLEsS.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR ALASKA UP
FOR CONSIDERATION.
Mr.. Vest Criticises the .MultiplicatiOn
of Omcials"-Senate PASSES Sew
eral Bills-HOuse Mt Work
on a Contest Case
From Virginia.

Washington. March "a feature of the
senate to-day was an extended speech by
MIR. Caffery. of louisiana, in support oil
the pending national quarantine bill. In
the course of his argument MI. Canery
said that he wanted the whole quarantine
mower in the hands of the United States
government, the only authority which could
make a quarantine effective. and he added
that he was as stanch a states rights
advocate as any man.
I'VE 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 will enable the authorities to cope with
the dread diseases which are hkeiS 10
ravage the country"
Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia, interrupted MI.
Caffery to inquire whether he would object
TO the following amendment to the pending
bill:
Nothing in this act shall be construed 10
interfere with the right Of any state OF
municipality to protect its citizens from III
f~ectious. contagious or epidemic diseases by
such rules and regulations as the autnor-
Sties of said state or municipality may deem
necessary"
This amendment will be proposed by Mr..
Bacon. In reply to Mr.. Bacons inquiry
Mr.. Gallery said he saw no Objection 10
the terms of the amendment. as ne uhder-
stood IL. If the state or municipal power
We're sufficient, he said he would not lhsisl
that national authority should be para
mount. But il was evident that state and
municipal authorities were unable properly
to cope with epidemics.
In conclusion, after speaking Tor nearly
tree hours, Mr.. Caffery said that state
quarantines were utterly inefficient, utterly
powerless against an epidemic OF yellow
fever. Under this inefficient state quaran-
tine system, he had known the most brutal
and severe acts to be performed. he hao'
himself, he said, been accosted by petty
quarantine officers with shotguns. For inc
exercise of that kind of state police power
he had no use, and no regard. He desired
that the whole question should be hanoied
scientifically. SO that a power and author-
fly should be provided that would be aoe-
uuate TO cope with yellow fever, choiera
and like disease.
Mr.. Carter, of Montana. of the commit
tee on territories, called up the measure
reported by him making further provision
for a civil government OF Alaska anu au-
dressed the senate at length upon H.
He said that the mao not
deemed it wise to provide for a legislative
assembly for Alaska. not only on account
of the nomadic character of the innabi-
tants. but also on account OIL the vast "a
The discovery of gold, Mr.. Carter said.
had attracted many persons to the oistrict
during the past two years, Dull no" IohS
the rush might last nobody could tel. coh-
sidering the character Of the population
and the condition under which tne people
lived. the holding of elections Tor an as
eembly would be much ike noioih6 OH
ton at a circus.
Questioning Mr. Carter as TO the reason
for providing for three United states 1uoges
and three district attorneys, Mr.. vest, OF
Missouri. criticised what he termed tne
MULTIPLICATION of officials He behevea
that a reasonably industrious lawyer couid.
as a district attorney, transact an Oh ~
business likely to arise there IN one month
in every year. In reply, Mr. carter main-
tanned that. on account OF the enormous
distances between prominent places IN
Alaska. and the fact that transportation
which was almost entirely by water. was
impossible during the great part OF the
year on account of ice, the Necessary OF
the courts provided for by the bill was
evident. Mr.. Carter was here interrupted
and will continue tomorrow.
MIR. Gallinger. of New Hampshire. who
nounced that. yielding to the kind solicita-
tions of many senators, he would to-mor-
row. Immediately after the morning pusi-
ness had been transacted, prleny ADDRESS
the senate upon his observations in Cuba.
unless. meantime, something should occur
Mr.. Foraker, of Ohio. presented the Gre
Gentials of his colleague. MIR. Hanna, Tor
The term as United States senator, cover
ing six years from March 4. 1888. The Gre
dentials were read and ordered filed.
Among the bills passed were the follow
ing:
TO prevent the appointment of cadets to
the naval or military academy of the
United States. from states. territories or
districts in which such cadets do not re-
side: TO raise the age of protection for girls
I'm the District of Columbia and in the ter
ritories 10 is years; to pay the state OF
Wyoming $3.50, money expended by the
territory of Wyoming in protecting and
preserving Yellowstone national park dur
ing the years 1Ss4-S5-S6. and to place Julius
A. Maiser on the retired list Of the navy
as a passed assistant engineer.
Al $40 p. m. the senate went into execu-
tive session and then adjourned.