The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-06
A GRowL FROM NEW ORLEANS.

~ was only to be expected that New Or
leans should set up a howl against the
quarantine recently established by Texas
against the Crescent City. 1t Is not OK
actly fair. however. for the press and
people OF that city to insist strenuously
that the quarantine was imposed for com
mercal" reasons
The accusation OF "commeroallsm"
comes with very poor grace from a COM
nunity that has not hesitated In the past
to ieopardize the health. the lives and the
best interests of the whole Mississippi val
ley in order to protect its own business
and avoid the inconvenience OF quaran-
tines. One OF the New Orleans papers
/ however, had tho following in recent
Issue and the sentiments expressed are
said to represent the views of all classes
In the Louisiana metropolis:
The health officers in Texas, under the di-
/ rection OF one man, established q quarnntiue
! against New Orleans Immediately upon hear
/ ing OF the suspicious case. There is neither
sense nor reason In such conduct. There was
/ no cause for IT. except commercial, the self
Z Inspiring reason for such outrageous action.
I The Texas people know there was no danger
/ from an Isolated. sporadic case In New Or
/ leans. but the opportunity was given to quar-
antine competitive merchandise from Texas
/ and 10 boom the trade OF Galveston and Hous-
/ ton and greed and avarice won over sense,
4 Justice and equity. Such an act, entirely for
/ commercial and morcenary motives, Is deserV-
ing the strongest conformation from all fair
minded and Christian people,
/ The answer to such stun as this is that
/ 4 Is a contemplate SANDER from begin
ming TO end. It Is a case Of that want of
/ virtue that fails to see virtue anywhere
else.
There may have been no danger In the
sporadic" case OF fever reported in New
| Orleans, but that the quarantine was es-
tahllshed from any other than the purest
motives nobody who knows Or. Blunt
[ Will for moment believe The city OF
New Orleans has SO often failed to report
\ contagion in It's midst, until it has spread
beyond tho possibility OF coneealment,
that wise health officers In other States
very naturally conclude that when case
Is announced IL Is doubtful II It is the
FIRST one, The health authorities OF the
Crescent City for years past have invited
suspicion by their peculiar methods. Yell
low fever is not feared in New Orleans
as it Is in other parts OF the South The
medical and other classes In that city
would be willing to let It run Its course
without saying anything about It If that
were possible. Texas and Mississippi
Alabama and Arkansas and the interior
of Louisiana would be recklessly and
heurtlessly subjected to the visitation of
an epidemic rcther than that New Or
leans business interests" should suffer!
DR., Blunt has iully answered these self
sh and inconsistent people OF New Or.
leans in the letter published In yester-
DAVIS Post in which he replied to certain
} nhysiclans of Houston who had questioned
the ground or the policy OF his action. The
|, health officer says that quarantine, II no
real occasion exists for It, can but tenn.
, porarily affect commerce, while on the
| other hand, n delay In the premises should
result in the Introduction OF an epidemic
disease thousands OF lives might be lost
and a thousand fold greater loss to com
merce might RESULT
The best defense OF DR., Blunt's action
Is found in the honest answer to this
question: III by his negligence or over
confidence disaster should happen to Texas.
how many OF his present critics would
hold him gulltiess, or fail 70 denodnee
him as ineompetentG" II the doctor made
a mistake It was an error on the safe side
and We can deplore the quarantine with
out critieising the good faith or the purity
OF motives OF the health officer. The
mouthinEs of New Orleans In the psemlses
should count for but little either one way
or the other
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