The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-12-27
CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
THURSDAY MORNING, :::::....::.::: :.DEC. q
Our Firemen---cOurss or the Enquirer, &C.

~ I'D an exceedingly unpleasant TASK 10 Dc
compelled on the occasion of every fire, to make
public defence against equally public attacks
upon men, who labor on every such occasion
with all the power in their bodies, mid ex-
posture and often perilous dangers, to prerseve
the property Of their fellow-citizens, and with
out any reward excepting that of having en-
deavored to perform their duty. 1t seems to
us, that however unsuccessful their efforts, our
Aremen certainly deserve the encomiums of
their fellow-citizens for their labors and perils,
or at least should be spared the insults and
abuse of man, who in no manner, in any
single instance, has participated in these labors
and perils, but habitually takes advantage of
his position as the controller Of the columns of
q newspaper, to disparage the efforts ofthoss
who at every alarm, rush to the scene Of dam
ger, and lend their best efforts to protect and
save property in which they have no interest.
But this man has openl signifed his intention
Of breaking down two companies in this city
because by resolution they saw fit, and by
unanimous votes, to rebuke his disgraceful con-
duct. He is also extremely DESTROYS Of max
ing capital against what he calls tho, Know
Nothing Council--A Council in which the
Americans have one majority. l7f.a tio sia4g
Now we wish to review little, 50 that our
citizens may understand precisely the position
of the Enquirer. At the time of the burning
Of the block opposite this Office, the Enquirer
made dsgraceful attack on the Chief Engineer
and Fire Department generally, and on the
city for not having better FIRE department.
And fire department, apparatus and all, were
just as they come from the control Of the
previous Chief Engineer!
The fire proved that the hose was too rotten
to be relied upon, the engines not what they
should be, and that hook and ladder apparatus.
were indispensable. We spoke the voice Of
our citizens, and urged that the evils be at once
remeded. The Enquirer advocated the same
thing, but in connection with dirty abuse, of
individuals and bodies--so disgracefll in fact
as to call forth notice from the fire companies
and snecr from the Council, all Of which the
Enquirer has never forgiven, because the re-
Dukes were most VIGOROUSLY deserved. To
punish these offenders, it would gladly see the
fire department broken up, and the money
bestowed upon it sunk forever. Well, the
Council responded to the voice Of citizens, and
made donations to the amount Of alittle over
$1,000 for repairing engines, purchasing new
hose, and procuring hook and ladder wagon.
Every donation of this amount, and part Of it
Ia g
given to the companies in lieu Of tares appeared
Immediately demanded for the safety Of the
city--and they passed Council by an unanimous
cote Of its members. These donations called
forth no especial rebuke from the Enquirer
when made. But recently, the Enquirer has
awakened to the discovery, that the ''Know
Nothing Council" was deserving the re-
buke of tax payers for these donations! 1t
made a scurrilous attack on the Council, as a
K1so,0 Nothing Council, and did not say, nor
has it said yet what ordinary decency, if such
had been in any degree the possession of the
editor, should have made 1t say, that these
donations were given by unanimous votes, thus
making the Democrats in the Council as much
responsible as the majority. The priucip;
item in these donations, was for new hose
What objection can be made to that? An
other item is for a hook and ladder wagon
Can there be any objection to that? Other
items were for repairing engines. They GER
tainly soere in very bad order, and competent
mechanics said by repairs good machines
could be made of them. Wherein then was
the wrong in making donations to have them
repaired? More than this, considerable amounts
OF the money received by the Neptune and
Young America Companies otherwise, were
devoted to repairing their engine houses, and
fitting up rooms for meetings-and for a pub
lies display which even met the approval Of
the Enquirer. But the Enquirer occupies
the position Of not only ridiculing and abusing
these donations, but denouncing the body
which made them. We trust its denunciations
will sit we'll on the stomachs of the Democratic
members of the Council, who voted for the APP
preparations, and therefore suffer as much by
the Enqugrer's abuse as any other members of
the Council.
But the Enquirer Of Tuesday contained a
virulent article against the City, the Depart
Klent and the Firemen 1t, however, prstends
to lay the whole blame of the destruction Of
the Court House upon 'the stupidity and malice
ofthe City Council 1t says:
"This fire, like the one at >MitchelIs corner,
is the legitimate offspring of the stupidity and
malice of the City Council. Stupidity in not
knowing their duty and malice III removing
- oe4io;a1t ohinf If he fra nOlica n make