Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-25

HE CRY Coz NCIL AND THE FIRE
CoMPANY.-On Saturday we pubishe ed side
by side the ordinance Of the council estab.
lishing Fire Department and the appeal Of
the Independent Fire Company to the public.
Our readers have thus had an opportunity
to examine the provisions of the much talked
OF ordinance and the reasons why the Fire
Company disapproves them. We reg ct to
see this difference between the City Faith ers
and so respectable body of citizens as the
flremen, especially, as that difference is
caused by singular, but unfortunate error
OF the latter The whole trouble has sris
en- from the suppositon that the members of
the Independent Ere Company are members
OF the Fire Department. When the Inde-
pendent Fire Company learns, as it soon
must. that this ordinance is to operate, not
upon them. but upon members of a ire De-
Partment yet to be organized. We trust they
Will abate the strength of their dspleasure.
The flrst section Of the ordinance provides
that
The Fire Department shall consist of
Chief Engineer Assistant Engineers. Fire
"ardens, "and as many E1re Engine,seu
Hosemcn, Hook d Ladiermen. as are or man
from time to t'me be appointed 6y tie CITY
Council"
From that section it is plain that no man
Is member of the Fire Department until
he has been'appointed by the common Coun-
ell, and the council has as yet appointed no
member of the Independent company
member of the Department. Until the mem
bers OF the Independent Company have ap-
Piled to the council and received their com
missions, appointment they can have no
right to medJle with the affairs of the De-
partment or dictate as to the manner of
electing its Chief Engineer The appeal of
the Independent company assumes that that
association is the Department 1t says first,
that we object to the city council appointing
our chief Engineer. or any other member of
the Fire Department; again" We claim the
right to elect our oscn officers; again" we
ask the right Of our electoral franchise
again, We object to the removal of our Of
ficers dc; all Of which claims, it will be
seen, take it for granted that the members
Of the Independent company are members
Of the Fire Department, which is not the
fact. Now, the council does not propose to
elect the chief Engineer, or to appoint the
members Of the Independent company, but
simply to appoint the Engineers and
members of Fire Department, of which
none of the Independent men arc members.
Why the members Of the Independent com.
pany should grow SO indignant over the
wrongs done to department with which
they have no concern, VIC are utterly at
loss to conceive. If the members of the In
dependent company are not pleased with
the fire ordinance. they need not apply to
the council for admission to the Fire depart
ment From this view of the case, which is
the only correct one, it is plain that the
firemen have been labouring under verv
grave error. Having thus disposed of the
greater number of objections, which all
proceeded from that Que mistake. we do
not deem it necessary to say one word re-
specting the other sections of the ordinance.
1t seems to be generally conceded, that
as the Engine House, the engines and ap-
paratus all belong to the city the council
has the right to entrust them to whomsoev-
er it sees fit, and that in withdrawing them
from the use of the Independent company,
it has done no injury to ANYBODY. The i'm
possibility ofhaving two Fire Departments
in our city is 60 apparent that it were
waste of words to discuss Sec. 26, which
prohibits any association Of firemen not or
ganized under the Fire ordinance, though
that section is the only one which really af-
fects the Independent Company. We antic
ipate no difficulty in organizing a Fire De-
partnent. There are hundreds of active
young men who would be glad to become
though the whole Independents
company should refuse to join. We Cannot
however,re refrain from expresaingths hopethat
the members of that company will look up
On this matter in proper light, and become
msmbsrs Of the Fire Department without
delay.
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