Year: 1879

To the Editor of the Democrat:


II the people on the coast of Texas could re
ly on your maintaining rigorous quarantine
against all thnee dangerous places. and on you
continuous efforts 10 keep your city clean ant
healthy by local sanitation and rigorous ant
l Intelligent attempt 10 stamp ont the first I'D
| pearance OF infection. they would feel mucl


safer In desiring commercial intercourse witt


your city.


But we have felt that you had large elemen
| In your city who, for commercial purposes
alone. opposed all quarantine. and who sparet
neither trapba 1 nor expense TO ibwar, you II
to mako your city healthy and safe at all times
| for all to visit or trade h-lExtracts from DR.
| Health.


II those Of our citizens who have signed q
petition to the Governor for the removal
Of the Board OF Health and for a
material modification OF the foreign quaran-
tine regulations will carefully peruse and
ponder upon the contents of the above ex-
| tracts as sensible men, they will come to the
| conclusion that they have erred In their action
| The declarations Of the Galveston board o1
health are but the echo of similar organiza-
tions in all of the surrounding country com.
mercially tributary to our city.


We have either got to sacrifice our entire
interior trade, or maintain without relaxation
the present ten day quarantine. This state
ment cannot be truthfully controverted.
1t matters not how much we may differ
among ourselves as to the practical efficiency
OF quarantine, the fact is apparent that all OF
the towns tributary to our city demand it's
rigid enforcement


The foreign commerce Of our city, at this
period of the year, as compared In value and
Inn wit In fra ia rur h.
light to the sun.


But the foreign commerce from infected
ports is not destroyed; it is simply subjected
to temporary Inconvenience, growing out OF
the stern necessity Of the situation. The reg
ulations for it's government here, under the
State law are far from being as onerous and
expensive to shippers and consigness as In
New York. There all vessels from infected
ports have been compelled to unload and load
at the quarantine stations, and at the expense
Of shippers and consignors. And, although
climatic conditions might safely have given
immunity to foreign commerce there. yet
public opinion, without division, has fully
sustained the action Of the health officer, and
the shipping interest has not murmured at
his work.


La the early part of the season DIR. Wander
poe started out with the idea that a tive-day
quarantine detention would protect New
York, but he soon found his mistake. He
then determined on the course he has pur-
sued since that, of keeping all vessels from
Injected ports at the quarantine station.


Indeed, the commercial public opinion of
New York Is far In advance of the action of
the health authorities. In recent number Of
the Herald, alluding to the ever on the bark
Wallace, it says:


There Is but one way to prevent such occur
rences az this of the park Wallace, and thar is
q entirely forbid entry to the port 10 ships from
Havana. and the health officer may feel assured
that the entire destruction OF the trade with
that port would be preferred by the public here
to the Introduction Of yellow fever. We can
stand 1t ii Havana can, and If Havana does not
like 1t let her clean up and disintect herself.


The whole subject OF quarantine. and it's
real bearings upon our commercial interests,
have not been properly understood by q por-
tion Of the people. A false puhlic sentiment
has been insidiously built up in our midst. It
has been as unfair as it is detrimental to the
business of the city. It has created the i'm
preston that there was "a large element in
our city who, for com mmerciai purposes alone,
opposed all guarantines." Personal hostility
to the president of the Board of Health has
been the animus of the movement. It has
been bitter, unrelenting and vindictiye; argu-
ment has been lost sight Of; facts and statis-
tics have been disregarded; the public mind
poisoned by the virus Of vituperation and
slander. The whole movement is yet des-
tined to react against its authors.


MORE ANON.