A NATIONAL VETERINARY POLICE SYSTEM. 381 



others quite the contrary would be the case. Only when a com- 

 mon danger exists, or when there is some central and controlling 

 power to spur men on to their duty, and warn them of their dan- 

 ger, do we have energetic and uniform action. The results of this 

 condition of things may be made more apparent by supposing that 

 pleuro-pneumonia is present in two or more adjoining States. The 

 authorities of one of these States, thoroughly aware of the dangers 

 to which her bovine population is exposed, and not regardless, we 

 may hope, of their duty to sister States, have made ample provision 

 of money, and drafted appropriate regulations for " stamping out " 

 the disease. The} T have selected special persons to execute the same. 

 On the other hand, the authorities of an adjoining State have de- 

 cided to follow the temporizing policy. They seem to fear a primary 

 outlay, not appreciating that a small outlay, well expended, at first, 

 may save an immense expense in the future. The regulations of 

 this State, and the manner in which they are executed, are of that 

 form which serve to express a fear of the ill-will of the people. 

 Her legislators seem to have their attention more earnestly fixed 

 upon influences likely to interfere with the next elections, rather 

 than on their duties to the people. They appear to utterly ignore 

 any responsibility with reference to their duties toward adjoining 

 States. They make of their State a hot-house from which pesti- 

 lential germs may be disseminated, not only to adjoining States, but 

 even to those more distantly situated. Of what use, then, is all the 

 outlay of time, money, and labor by the authorities of the first- 

 named State ? To prevent the disease extending over her borders, 

 she must treat her sister State as an enemy. She must place an em- 

 bargo, not only on all cattle from that State, but upon all passing 

 through that State. She can allow no cattle to cross her frontiers 

 from a State where the laws are less stringent, or poorly executed, 

 without first subjecting them to inspection, and frequently to quar- 

 antine. Were this regulation carried out along a long line of traffic 

 through different States, it requires no stress of the imagination to 

 perceive the great disturbances which our trade in domestic animals 

 would suffer. In the case of glanders it will be absolutely impos- 

 sible to keep it properly confined within narrow limits, unless we 

 have the same laws and regulations for every State in the Union, 

 and equally stringent execution of the same. Otherwise, such 

 horses can be run backward and forward across State boundaries, or 

 the result will be that the disease will acquire an undesirable exten- 

 sion in those States where the laws are lax, or where they are but 

 dead letters for the want of proper execution. The people of such 



