The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-14
Firemen or New York.


The columns of almost every public journal are
closed against you. The hand Of almost every
editor is uplfted to strike you down. The scurvy
politicians, to man, are against you and the in
corporations spending their money freely
to distract and subvert your organization, for the
first time since the Indians transmitted their fire
department to the pale faces And why this I'M
hallowed alliance of the press, politicians and in
surance corporations, for your demolition? / will
tell you. The press would blot out Alfred Carson,
because he dared attack them and silence their
base libes on his good name the corrupt politicians
would bury yourselves and Carson in one common
ruin, because you have driven their aldermanic
cronies back to their dreary abodes Of reflection and
remorse, and the biting neglect of meritorious cit
Gems and the insurance companies have secretly
united to destroy you, because you and your prede
have been kind and true to them and their
ancestors for one or two centuries. lngrattude Is
OF rare occurrence among honorable men, but from
soulless corporations it to be expected although
they are composed Of creatures who profess to have
souls.
A paid fire department is the ostensible cry of
the press; but your chastisement is their leading
motive, because you have chung like brothers to
your chief against their maledictions. Their first
object is to render you obnoxious with the people.
And how would they effect this? Not by honorable
means, but by branding you Unfortunately as
thieves, even while some Of you are imploring, in
the name Of q humane God, to be extricated from
burning ruins and when the thrilling cries OF your
deceased comrades could be heard in their editorial
closets and, when extricated, (some dead, and
others apparently in their last gasp these editors
send you editorialy, to the hospital or to Green
wood as a gang of worthless thieves. They thus
degrade and lacerate the bleeding hearts of your
distracted kindred and to make sure Of their VIC
tins, living and dead they devise hellish plot to
entrap your noble Chief Engineer to testify against
your departed companions, whose testimony before
the coronors jury was most shamefuly perverted by
almost every press in the city. And these editors
do all this to operate on the people, and in favor Of
a paid fire department.
Firemen, you do not merit this degradation and
this cruel persecution from the press (the safety Of
whose costly establishments you watch with such
sleepless vigilance) simply because you have con-
scentiously testified your undertaking devotion to
your chief, who has shared your perils for many
years, while those who would degrade and destroy
you are sweetly reposing on feather BEDS and max
ing glorious dividends from your gratuit0us and
perilous labors.
The editors pirate about the thievsh propensties
of fremen, as though there were no thieves among
the editors but the editors must be most internal
set Of scamps, from their glowing accounts of each
other And these editors prognosticate no more
thefs if the remen only paid good fat salaries,
and are called brigaders, or brigade fremen. These
brigadiers must come direct from heaven if there
be not, here and there, devil among them. Louis
Napoleon elected himself Emperor through his fire
bngades, and other similar political organizations;
and Matsell backed by large portion of the press
and the politicians, may have some mischievous
game in view, for he is in his shirt sleeves for fire
brigade Brigadicr Matse How that would
sound. And brigadier of two departments, viz:
the fire and the police. o. there's much in that.
Did not Matsell once attempt to wear white fire.
mans cap? and did not Anderson make him take it
off? And did not Matsell order general alarm at
the fire in Forsyth street the other day. Oh, fire.
men, why will you repose on a volcano!
Much Is said by the press of the independence Of
the police under its present organization But does
not Matsell report the trembling policemen for mis-
demeanor to the Mayor, Recorder, and City Judge,
ctsnp sc al in fl,o;r
in the hands Of Matsel is a lash, and enables him,
in connection with his captains and ieutenants, to
control the city. How easy for police captain
der instructions from Mase, to silence the clamor
of political opponents at the polls and to incar-
cerate, Tin the Tombs or station houses, until the
election is over and the votes are satisfactorily
counted under the pretext of disturbance, all those
who dared oppose Matsels candidates, and the can
ddates Of Matsells friends among the press and the
politicians. And if we had another powerful psli.
teal organization in the form of paid fire depart
ment, OF Napoleonic fire brigade, that would har-
monte in its action with the police department. and
with the leading politicians and with the press,
AID with the insurance and other corporations, what
wsuld become of the right of practical suffrage in
the city Of New York? 1t would exist only m name.
With power equally distributed among the nations
OF Europe, there would be cause for war. Nicho-
las thinks he resist all Europe in arms, hence
the present war. What mainly preserves the union
Of the States is the equality of representation of
States in the American Senate, through which the
reserved rights of the States chiefly protected.
And what will preserve the city of New York from
confagration, and best protect the ballot box, and
promote the best interests of the city, will be for the
press to he far less grasping in its desires for
universal power, through its advocaton of, and sub
sequent intimate connection with, the leading Off
Gers Of dangerous political organizations, which
must ultimately result in their absorption Of the
right Of suffrage and perhaps in the destruction Of
the city ITSELF Let the press and the public organi
cations studiousy move in their respective spheres
like the States and the general governments serious
intimacy
fatal to both, and to oil concerned.
The press has power enough, and quite as much
as the people can safely allow Them The public cor
porations have more power than is consistent with
the public safety and the purity and exercise Of the
elective franchise. But repeat, that with police
department, and paid fire department, and other
public eorpontions, and the press all united in
York Farewell then, to the right Of suffrage in this
city. The paid firemen and the paid policemen,
openly or tacitly sustained by the press, would
to the ballot boxes, permitting Gas many Of
the police do now only those to vote who could
give the countersign. Thus fearful consolida-
ton Of power in the first American city, might
lead to the most deplorable results to 1.-THE
4 whole country. We have not existed eighty years
as republic, which is very small period in
the silent and tackless footsteps of centuries The
American eagle might fall tomorrow from his pro-
jecting cliff, never to rise Rome ruled, and finally
4 destroyed, the Roman empire. So with Athens
and Alexandria, and other ancient cities. Paris
through political organizations, rules France These
associations, controlled by bold, reckless, and ac
complished leader, can make France o republic to-
day and despotism tomorrow London, through
her public corporations, which were gradually
stolen from the people, controls the British empire
on whose vast possessions the sun never sets. And
! why should not New York, with similar organiza
tons and controlled by crafty, irresponsible, I'M
scrupulous, and unbridled press, ultimately reduce
the whole country to despotism and degrading vas
salage? Some of our leading and most honorable
statesmen will tell you that the city Of New York
controls the national conventions Of either party,
and the national politics, through half dozen
bloated political scamps located in this city and
Albany.
Firemen of New York, and other citizens, are
ven prepared TO incur these perils! If not, arise
and resist the superhuman efforts to disgrace and
destroy you! Grasp and hold with giant strength
the little you have left Of the right Of suffrage;
cling with undying firmness and affection to your
noble organization; resist the attempts to saddle