The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-12-29
The ENQUIRER ag... I.


We clip the following from the Enquirer of
yesterday, as the only thing of public inter
est in a column of matter, principally devoted
to begging the question" as to its structures
upon the firemen, to eulogizing the editors
personal services at fires, and to trying to wilt
our shirt collar. AS usual, we descend to no
reply to his personal abuse Certainly if he
knew how little we care for what he says
about u.s. or for moment reflects upon how
little injury he has done us in his almost con-
slant abuse of the last two years, he would
spare himself the trouble of hunting up and
writing down bad language to apply to the
editor of this paper. Whenever blackguard
ism or SANDER from the pen of John b. Hall
can injure our character, then cowardly
knaves and rotten political hacks may reign
supreme in Evansville and honest men hide
their faces. The Enquirer says, and it will be
noticed, that it has entirely retired from its
original charges on the City Council, and bur
rowed itself for refuge in public cistern:
That is what we said about the council; and
now for the proof That cistern at the cross
ing of Main and Third streets is large enough
to hold water sufficient to have extinguished
, the fire at the alley. The Mayor and Coun-
Gil knew for months past that it leaked-it had
been frequently measured by a fireman and a
Democratic member of the Council; yet the
Mayor refused or neglected to repair it, and
when the fire came it had but seven feet water
in it, and the city had not suction long enough
to reach it. This cistern was looked upon as
protection to the Washington House, proper
ty owned by Democrats; the Crescent City
Bank, owned mainly by Willard Carpenter
and John A. Reits and his brother, and the
Court House, occupied by Democratic office
! holders. To let all these buildings burn down
would not discommode single Know Moth
ing, but would punish their enemies; so these
buildings were left at the mercy of the fiery
element. This looks like bold charge, but
we ask the people to look at it-look at the
ruins. ts
1t certainly does look like a bold charge--sC
very bold, that the wonder is whether the au-
thor be the greater fool or knave; so very bold
r indeed, that all the ordinary folly and knav
} cry of its author-haye been thrown into utter
| insignifcance by this display; so corruptly
dirtly, yillianously bold, that the writer of il
: should bury himself in some deep cavern from
, the sight Of man, and the sunshine of Heaven
r where honesty, virtue and deeency, NIGH
never be furnished by coming in contact with
such mass of moral rottenness.
Now then for little history of this cistern
: to see how far our Mayor and Councilmen arr
) to blame. The cistern was built under tho
s superintendent of Mr.. Ment7er, Democratic
member of the Council, and of Mr. Roquet an
: other Democrat, by German. 1t was hand
ed over to the City Council, who under Mr.
e Mentzer's declaration that it was properl,
: done, paid for the job. Last spring, it wa
g found the cistern leaked badly. The Council
G authorized the Mayor to have it repaired. HI
e mad an experienced cistern builder to examin
e the cistern, and he said he could fix it by &c
t menting it properly. He put good deal Q
Q work ON it, and was paid for it. The cisterl
t again leaked above certain point The sub
S ject was mentioned several times in Council
9 but German Democratic member declare,
e there was no use repairing it any more-tha
he had cistern built like it, and it acould leak
: The Mayor has several times within the pas
# weeks, endeayored to get the fire companie
to fill the cistern, to see if the leaks continued
e but there was no response The fact is tn
IS cistern was improperly constructed, and tn
Q blame attaches to those who superintcndet
It its building. f.e. -...-....
g The Mayor has done all in his power {
It remedy the evil, and if Council have failed i
If their duty, it is because they deemed til
Mayor was using proper exertions to secure
trial Of the worth of the cistern. Why hay
mot some1 of those gentlemen who are no,
: complaining, and Ehy did not the Democrat
{ members Of the Council, take some forma
!. action in the premises, if they thought tai
: cistern had been neglected pdrposely or in an
other manner? Let it be recolleeted, that
. the "Know Nothing Council',' is to blame, til
Democratic members of that body are just a
2 much to blame as any others. The Mayo
authorizes us to make call upon citizens
o which will be found in another column.