The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-09
Tamperins with tho Ftre Department
A Dangerous Experiment.

TamporfnS with tho Fire Department.
A Dangerous Experiment.
The Chamber Of Commerce, at q special
meeting held on Tuesday last, adopted q
resolution requesting the City Council "to
defer any action for the present" on "s
bill to declare certain colored fire oampa-
MES part Of the Fire D:partmslt, and to
establish Bosrd of Colored Firemastsrs ia
1ha CITY of Charleston" This resolution
was concurred in by the Board Of Trade at
q meeting held on the Same day, so that
Council, at its next meeting, had before it
clear and emphatic expression Of the opin-
ions Of the principal taxpayers in the
city. The letters Of the Presidents Of the
Chamber Of Commerce and Board Of Trade,
announcing the adoption ofthe resolutions,
were read before Council, and received as
information upon motion Of Alderman I.
] Mackey, who at the same time said that
he intended to bring up the bill in modi-
fed shape at q subsequent meeting. This
was well enough as far as it went, but AL
dsrman Maokey, who is the putative faith er
Of the bill, said besides that he did not in
tend to have it 30 modified as to prevent
the colored companies from enjoying all
the rights ofinoorporated companies. The
bill then, though sleeping, is not yet dead,
and, in view Of it's importance and mis-
chievous tendency, it is to be regretted that
the Chamber of Commerce and Board Of
Trade did not ask at once for an indefinite
post tponement of all action upon it. So
long as the bill is in q condition to be
brought up at any moment by any dems'
gogue who may wish to obtain little poll
tical popularity at the expense Of the city,
we have no assurance that we shall be able
to retain an efficient Fire Department or
to insure at reasonable rates any portio2
Of our. property. Tho bill should be killed,
and this will be done at the next meeting
of Council if there are in that body IS many
honest and uaselfsh men as would have
saved the Cities Of the Plain from destruc :
ton.
1t is useless, perhaps, to urge that the
immediate effect Of the passage Of the pro-
posed bill will be large increase in the
cost Of the Fire Department. Setting down
the expenditures Of the year at the esti-
mates Of the Clark administration, it is
doubtful whether the city will be able to
mee. all its engagements. But the esti-
mates will, we believe, in more thaa one
instance, fall far short Of the actual out
lay, and now it is desired to clap on $18,-
600 or $40 600 more for the benefit Of COL
ored FIRE companies. No increase in tho
strength Of the department is necessary
We have now more men and moro engines
than are required for city Of the size Ct
Charleston. The only advantage Of the
additional number of companies will be the
additional expense, and an increased pro-
liability that the city will be unable to pay
the October interest upon the city debt
without large and long loan from some
capitalist who has confidence in the sol7en
oy Of the city and the honesty Of His Honor
the Mayor.
But Alderman Msckey aud his friends
probably care but little what becomes OF
the city debt, nor are they likely to reflect
that two quasi Fire Depart
ments-the one white and the other black
cannot peacefully coe1ist in Charleston.
The attempt to make the negro fireman the
equal of the white fireman WILL. if psrse-
vered in, cause ill-feeliog, if not tumuli
and bloodshed. And it m y lead to prac
tical disbanding Of the white Fire Depart
ment. This is con>umma ion devoui'y
wishel hy somc Of the Radical cre*-ihe
Msckeys We pres-ms, ara of the number
AS quick way Of giving the H. gr,es full
swing, VITA q fin, chanos to amuss then