, 1872-12-26

! ourown negligence. BY day OF night, this city
should be, and can b., rendered perfectly safe.
cia policeman, and every citizen should be ready
atall times to extent to the Police or the Fire
Department all the aid in his power.
Every man, whether he owns a lot or not, has
| n ownership in the city, and it is his duty to
! aphold the laws, BY which We are all equally
protected in our lives, property, and civil rights
| Tile greatest care should be exercised in the
appointment OF our police. They should be
calm, steady, sober, and gentlemanly 1oen,-the
true guardians Of the city and faithful observers.
lice Of such men, under stern discipline during
their hours Of service, is far better than five
times the number OF idle loungers,- public
nuisances, supported at the public e1pence.
We can obtain such men, and they should ba
obtained, whatever the cost may be-
A fro occurred in Cottage Grove last night.
It WAS just outside the city limits. It was
bitter cold night The nearest fre-engine WAS
sharply from the South, terrible sanger would
again have threatened the city We arc in
great measure trusting to luck. There should be
no such thing as luck.
Let a fire break out where it will, at any
time, OF under any circumstances our Fire De-
partmept, aided BY the police, should be able to
subdue it promptly.
This should be substantially a 1re-proof city
Those who count the cost Of making it so, or
who fear the expense which such precaution
foolish" Individuals who, thinking themselves
well insured, are comparatively Indifferent to
the general safety Of the community. But,
in case of another widespread conhagration.
their insurance might not be worth FIVE cents on
the dollar.
Cost what it will, this city sho..d be made ab-
solutely secure from frc. Sound economy de-s
macds that this should bo done. Every sensible
taxpayer must be agreed upon this point. In
comparison with this, every other subject be-
fora the Htu f1nvaYrrnHrt ia incipDffcart Tha
safety OF tho city should be the frat and prime
object Of our municipal legislation. We may be
swept my night BY another general IRE. Our
present means Of e1ting9aiahing 6Ee On bois-
should be able to bid defiance to circumstances.
There should be no such thing rs accident.
There should be no excuse whatever for g fire
to get the start OF tho Fire Department. It
should be impossible for such event to occur.
It matters not if the whole Fire Department
should become exhausted by their labors on any
night (; q fresh relay of men should be ready for
the next night. The head Of the Fire Depart
ment should see to this, and be held responsible
for the result Thai the Fire Department
should be tired out, and unable to do their duty,
is q plea that he should never be permitted to
make. He should have a full relay Of men, ready
on any. end every night; and the power to fill
vacancies temporarily, in case Of need, should
be fully accorded to him.
If. under such circumstances, fire gets be-
yond the Fire Department, the Chief should be-
discharged at once. It will be positively shown
that tn he is not the man for the place. He may
emergency but, if he has no control over his
department, and manifests in tho hour OF dan
ger q lack Of genera1ship, his removal should be
as Inevitable as the rising Of the sun.
Tho head of the Fire Department, as well as
that Of tho police, should be held directly re-
sponslble for disastrous results. They should
be men OF the first capacity, and, when ci1cum-
stances prove that they are unequal to their
positions, no I've citizen should advocate their
retention in Office. Adler men should be put in
their places at once. It may be unpleasant for
the Mayor to remove them; but it is his duty to
do 90, without the slightest hesitation
Unless an officer, in any position, has the con
ment Of the laws. The Mayor Of city should
be an absolutely independent officer. He should
havo but one aim, 1.-The development and safety
OF the city. The responsibility of any fortui-
He should, therefore, be sure in regard to the
character and capacity of those whom he ap-
points.
If the Chief Of the Police shows himself, by
als acts, to be a narrow-mlnded and incompetent
officer, he should be laid aaide at once; the |
Mayor has no alternative.
: II the head Of the Fire Department proves |
mat he has no capacity for vide goneralizations,
md ls not the man for great emergencies, the |
1uty Of the Mayor is perfectly clear.
The three hundred and fifty thousand people |
6ho compose the population OF this city are in !
10 mood to bear with weak and incompetent Off
siale. We want strong man in every depart |
mont; and, wherever weakness shows itself, OF,
What Ia tenfold worse, corruption. We demand !
hat an immediate and radical change shall be |
made. The day for keeping favorite idiots in |
,fice has passed by.
Any man who betzays the interests OF this city |
.hou1d have his official head taken of, and that, |
90, IN the most summary manner. Yours re- |
'pectfully, J. EsA1As WARREN.
CHICAGO, Dec. q, 1879.