, 1874-08-14

70 Tho Editor Of TIC Chicago tribune:
Sin: You ceuauro the lenyu; OF tho execution
Of tho proposed f1re-orlinauce with tlo Doord OF
Police Commissioners, aud prcror an lnlopcnl-
cnt officer. Perhaps It was sl1portluous to Jneu-
ton this point, lnasnuch Us tho execution Of oil
city ordpauces falls naturally under the control
Of tho police powor. But to call for an indc-
pon1ont power to tho o1Ioct would, rs bofjove,
layo beon Mt onco detrimental to tlIo ca11ao, ill.,
asml.ch as tie Council las evidently no power to
create any independent uiica or Duara. Nor do
I ngrco With sou Oh tho prlnclplo. IN officer
such nj you want will oyor bo Inclined to
patoraa!iau,, u.,1 tho necessarily vast amount Of
discretion given will make him nothing !csa tlan
" nuisance, q bur to invention, develop
mont, and progross Of tho art Of building;
aud, il it DO impoHaiblo for us, as FREQ citizens,
10 appoint Or elect nn efficient Do1rd Of Police
ConlIlisa!oaors, it is just as impossible to ap-
ppint or elect proncr independent officer or
from any ono Board to annthcr, from Boards to
individuals, from tho eopse to appointing naHia-
trates; Or y.ce yelpa, is to no PURPOSE Tho ey'i
illus docppr, So long as poople will nit iu their
easy-chuira, or il, t4or b,tsinc6s-HftnitH, thinking
Or nothing but lnonoy-maaing. md leaye the at-
fara Of tho city, State, and country in Tho hands
Of demagogncs,-i, o., professional po!itcINnB,-
10 loug must they expect nliagovorunsant nnd
corruption. The possesHiny cluasos nre
SauI L Us desseo deso thy IT, u w 9g parteste IL
public afruirs .mattara will improve. ],
ior ono. shall hopo to tho Inst
that wo never shall bo undps may real necessity
70 resort to pntorla institutions Of any sort or
furlu, il ordor to 6hiod III from tho odoprodationa
aud incompotoncios Of professional politicians;
aud to geo the day whan tsua lherty will lo
triumphant. But tLis triumph will he tue TO-
suit only Of hard and incessa.as work on tue part
,P al Tat
pr.ce Of liberty. To-day this yiSilauua uleuna
Work,-~hardt inceaBant work.
4 correspondents, i'll your colutnue, signing
hiu,aelf "O." finds groat fuut with Set. ], Art.
aud wllat is not, IN my opinion, proper subject
Tor legislation All statutory lawB nro matters OF
society aB ayaiuBt individual treuaon. Only
thoHe uro good md valid, III a. morul point Of
faro of nocloty. I'hoy bcoolno Of doubtful
worth in tho degree they aro distant fran such
evident welfare. Inws which nre moro indlvid-
ual noti0ns, or which nre nado IN tho sel.lsh
interest or Individuals nro simply nuisance !;
and it ii this sort of logislntioll, aa sorry to
Say, TINT aboundB in our country, aud Mlr. 20"
soenla to .ue ohu or ths sort Of legislators. So
ciotY necessarily wants uomo degruo Of security
against tho destruction Of property. Aenco tho
1oceaaIty Of Bo-ealcd tlre-laws, Witch, to aon,o
oxtaut, include the construction Of, buildings.
But TO thinlt TINT wo mood buliding-lnwa for Tho
| aaka at teaching, with most 1,atprnal
spirit, ignorant ind CARELESS people. tho
| bust mode OF constructing. buildings ;. ls
! Of Continental Eur0pe. In Berlin, tue pnprlo
| aro taught, instwo largo volumes, how aud how
not tn construct their buihlingn, III ortlor that
tllny nlnY yB gocnroly 11ntar thoir roofs, without
tnxing their OWN braiuB with tho constructing Uf
thcua. An army OF enloenti officers; too, Bc6s
thcso laws executed. But whnt j. tho general
rasult9 Are there nuy losa "nacldoata.h IN Iler-
!ip thn1 are n auy our. large citica? Tho fact
lB, TINT sooloty docs not s1tor Ia tho least, III
fur, aa this point il coucornod, aud needs no
bni!ding-!aws proper. Let overy FREQ eitizan
construct his building according to Ills pleasure
| Cso: far ny moro constructive sceaElty
iu ooncornou) 10. long aa ,ho .uoeB not oroatc
q palpahla nntsauea. 10 try stoppin:s;
| y,tlgant utlicors IL q prorosterola uutertakinE
III y itoe country. II IL nothing laaa than y
nuGuneo, or oyen moro than that, Besides. 1t ts
| expansive. alnl-iMposalb!o: Lot tlio Lostsla-
tl,re say that tile croation Of anY such building
nuisance IL crime, FOX which rho l'erpettasor IL
tu be punished tlnocortltugly.
but, when WI turn to security nganst fire, wo
Htrike adilrurl.~ !iald, Hero .solnoot nndol'ia~
bic suffering, nsM enacLn,enth bauosno noecaHaty
to restrict i..liypsuat oupidty aud notion Tor tho
common welfare, Hut tho rcatrlctlon hllolu 20
kept to tho points involved III Tho problon'. Ihe
sal,esat pni1tH afa'
2. Eradication (thongl1 grad,'aD VI. exiatsna
9; Ffoper solas:y Of d1sla'.g walls batweos
builaiuga. .,-,
'nat LIT tho 1M'l tsnoss oF external walls Inns COLI
perat,yoly little to do with socurlty against tlro
it liurely ontors Incidentally, and caro Should b'
laken not to wautonlY curtall individual sater
I prise, Heo.3. Art. H., consistently specifics (b,
itnpticattun) tAat The trahsea boAring q tlaur O.
ROOT must rest on brirl walls, and nut ou uor'