The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-25
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Uncle Sam and the Cattle Ticks.


 To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 Because all honest and clear thinking men always want to know the exact truth whether they relish it or not, and be- cause warfare and crusade against the cattle ticks is about to begin under the leadership and direction of the United States expert inspectors, I am led to write this open letter to The Age Herald for the information of it's widespread and intelligent readers. That Uncle Sam is greatly stirred on the subject is not to be wondered at when 1t is known that most careful examination of the ex- tent and prevalence of the contagion has shown and clearly demonstrated that the yearly loss and utterly useless waste, which is alone caused and brought upon the people of the tick infected states of the south by the fever ticks, which are the sole and only medium to carry and spread the germs of the Texas or splenic fever, is now the enormous sum of s100,- 000,00o! And the loss and cost to Alabama alone mounts every year into the mill lions Now, this prodgious waste and drain has become intolerable! And Con- sress, urged thereto by the entire dele gation of senators and representatives from the south, has taken very decisive steps to meet and stamp out the pesti- fence which has silently become a na- tional menace and nuisance and now directly concerns all who eat beef, or cerns us all, and not merely the owners of domestic cattle.
 But what has the government done, and what does it propose to do?
 Well, Congress has enacted clear, sharp and drastic laws, which look to the stamping out, and the utter eradication of the pestilence from all sections and all the infected states-Alabama and all the rest. These laws of Congress look to and expect an active cooperation on the part of all state and county authorities, and nearly all the infected states have in turn passed laws which compel an active cooperation with the agents of the government in a common warfare on the germ-bearing cattle ticks.
 And so Congress has just passed an appropriation of $25o.00o--$1O0,0 900 more than last year-to aid the people In the work of tick eradication. And for this gen. erous aid in the good work the govern ment expects, and is determined to have, real and substantial results. But to this end 1t must have the intelligent and hearty cooperation of state and county officials, and particularly of all good and worthy citizens! Now these laws of both the nation and the states are known as the quarantine laws. They have come to stay. They must be obeyed. They will not be. repealed. But they will be en- forced.
 Just recently a notable case has been decided by the supreme court of the UniteA States in the matter of one As- bell of Kansas. Asbell undertook to over ride the quarantine law of the United States. and of Kansas. He was utterly mistaken in the final outcome. The facts are few, simple and very plain. He was indicted for taking cattle from the tick-infected Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, into Labette county, Kan sas, without having them duly inspected and getting a legal permit in accordance with law.
 
 sentenced to jail for 30 days He ap- pealed to the supreme court of Kansas, but that court fully sustained the trial court. Asbell then took an appeal to the | supreme court of the United States at Washington to test, as he said, the con- stitutionality of the quarantine laws. and to overthrow them. But that august tribunal has rendered decision which blew his contention to the winds. It held the quarantine laws to be strictly consti- tutional, and that he was properly con- yicted and must pay his fine and so to | Jail.
 MT. Asbell is now a sadder and wiser man. And in like manner various decis- | ions of the United States courts might be