The mountain Democrat., 1863-01-03
PLAcERvILLE, Dec. Goth, 1852.
Chief Engineer's salary-Tho vstO.

MRssRs. EDITORS: In common with other
members of the Fire Department, l was more
than astOnished when | read the message of
the President of the City Council, in returning
the Ordinance creating salary to the Chief
Engineer unapprOved to the Council. OfeOurse
already knew of the veto, but Of the extraOr
dInary reasons held for the act was in bliss
full ignorance until read the remarkably fair
reasoning, truth.premising and unpreiudiced
document in question.
The Hon. President starts out by comparison,
and whether It bears any real virtue is not my
purpose, in this communication, to discuss /;
but, in making it, be. by implication IT not by
other means, does an injustice 70 the officer
who, in his clear-sighted and economical Opin-
ion, should render his services tO the City for
the "honor Of the thing" In the very begin
ming Of the message. he insinuates, IT he does
MT tell US in plain English, that the duties
of the Chief Engineer are not " both responsible
aud arduous." Now, any impartial man, who
has given the subject the least thought, will
pronounce the assertion Of the Hon. President
the merest bAlderdash, for il is well known that
the duties that officer 10 required by the various
City Ordinances and the laws Of the Depart
ment TO perform, are both responsible and
arduons" ~ degree which renders it hardly
just or fair to expect him to perform them for
nothing
In another portion Of this singular document,
and | do not intend 70 crticise it As dOcu-
m, mt, for iI falls beneath criticlsm-the Hon.
President makes an insinuatiOn as broad as it
10 false aud injurious alike to the feelings and
character OF the members Of the Department,
as such, and as men. l have reference to that
portion where the Hon. President Intimates
fraud-where be says: "ADd il now becomes
Our duty, as sworn officers Of the City, 70 see
that she is not de(rauded." Whether the au-
thor meant or even knew what he said when be
Penned those words. the facts in the case give
HOs'd reason to doubt Where was the fraudf
Ii fraud there we're, why did not the Hon. Pres
Idens give Us some clue by which We could Ar.
rive at it aud see whether it had foundation in
fact: We, a. fremen, must be content to rest
under the imputatiOn VI attempting to defraud
the City, simply because the head Of its gov
ernmenI disdains TO reduce the charge TO plain
terms aud allow us Q defense. The BGAFd Of
Deiegates-All honorable aud well-known mes,
whO are taxpayers and have the interests Of
the City at heart probably as much as the Hon.
President-certainly thought no fraud 10 the
matter when they passed resolutions in favor
of the Ordinances, prior 10 iIs veto, by vote Of
nine TO one. They passed such resolutions
are they guilty Of completely in an attempt to
defrSud the Cily!. Were . majority Of the
Council parties TO the fraud when three out Of
tive voted To Pass the Ordinance over the yeto?
bers Of the FIRE Department did not anticipate
the proposed" salary. This Is wide Of the
truth, ss the author Of the message must have
known; for the proposed change" had been
agitated aud discussed by the members Of the
Department, and had also been presented TO
the City Council several weeks prior 10 the
election. Does the Hon. President forget that
the members Of the COuncil were requested 70
meet and act upon the matter, several weeks
before the election! They we're asked to do 70
they declined, and yet their head complains
Of snap Judgment.
1t is all very well tor the Hon. President to
bring to hIs assistance the popular cry OF
RallrOsd," but any observer will perceive
that 1t is used to prejudice the people against
the measure BY creating 40 unfair inference.
The connection has NO solid foundation rs
must be discovered. Would the payment Of Q
salary to the Chief Engineer entirely squelch
the Railroad? The Hon. President seems TO
think 80.
How was the information obtained that .
majority Of the Department was opposed " the
salary. Certainly not by cOoversing with
them because ali with but three exceptions,
with whom lave talked over the matter, are
in favor of it. Certainly not through the Board
of Delegates-the representative head Of the
Department, and supposed 10 reflect its will
for they favored 1t BY strong resolutions trans
mitted to the Council. say transmitted, but
must correct myself. One of the resolutions
instructed the Secretary of the Board to send
VI Tue IeStOeut ouu NOuuCu u copy
of the whole under the seal Of the Department.
The copy was duly made out by the Secretary
and on account Of s0me business engagement
he Was prevented from delivering them him
self, but asked friend to do SO for him. The
resolutions were delivered to the Hon. Presi-
dent in person, with the request tII at he would
present them to the assembled Council. The
Hon. President "pOcketed" them. and the
Council was kept in ignorance of their exist
ence. have no comment to make upon this
action of the Hon. President.
The Hon. President argues that because
there was but one candidate and SO few votes
pOled, majority of the Department WAS Op-
posed to q salary. The argument is bOOme-
rang-like, and is q weapon used by the Hon.
President which tends to his own destruction.
1t was under the suppositiOn that salary
would be accorded the Office that the candidate
was induced to run. He had faithfully and TO
| the satisfaction of alias his denomination
and Endorsement by three companies of the
Department prOve-Served in the Ofticce for
| one year. For this he received no cOmpensa-
tim. BY no opposition being urged, we 6nd
the best evidence that the Department was
willing and anxious that the incumbent should
receive the benefit of the salary which they
| supposed would be attached 70 the Office
There are other points in this connection that
should be noticed, but have already occupied
| so much of your space that, for fear Of firing
ycur readers, | will not raise them. l hope
the Council will take the matter again under
consideration, and do justice-all the Depart
ment asks-tO one of the mOst important Offices
held under the City government.