Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-14
DIS AN DED
A RECORD TO BE PROUD OF.

ed from any particular allusion to subject of To-
cal interest, which has for week been
| freely discussed. This course have pursued
with the hope that the disturbing caisc would be
| removed and the matter satisfactorily adjusted.
| But silence has ceased to be virtue, and it is
| time now to speak. We have refer eace to the I'M
precedented action of the democratic board OF Al
dermen, resulting in the di-nergration of the
| very excellent fire department of our city.
| We congratulate the republican party of Angus.
| ia that this charge never brought against
| them. II remained for the democratic board of
| Aldermen to introduce the disturbing element Of
| politics into the conduct of the fire departing MT
IS" new departure" that hs. not only crippled
the efficiency OF this protective arm of the pub
| lie service but which threatens it entire dissou-
| ton
| The fremen have been nsulted, their conceded
| rights trampled upon, their expressed wishes
thwsred, their respectful petitions disregarded,
and the frebrand Of dscord cast into their ranks.
| Are these the gentlemen who made so many and
loud professions of reform, and is thi. The style
of r,form they intend to inaugurstc throughout
| the various departments Of our city Are these
| the gentlemen who promised us model city gov
ernment' Are these the gentlemen who said in
substance, at the beginning of their administration,
| "give US the power, and we will redeem prom
| ises Of retienchment and reform"
1t is the pride aud boast of he republican party
| that in an uninterrupted administration Of the af-
fairs of the city for dozen years, the interests Of
the fire department were guarded with jealous
carc they were careful and watchful that no harm
came to thi, important and useful department. In
| inaugurating and carrying forward measures for
| the building up and strengthening Of this branch
| of the public service, the wishes of the Chief En-
gneer, his assistants, and the fremen as body
have always been consulted, and their opinion.
| invoked, in regard to the wants OF the department
Recommendations from the Chief, as to the
| location Of engines, repaiIs same the
men who should run them, the quantity
aud quality Of hose, and all other mat
tiers for the building up, equipment, etc, of first
! class fire department, have heretofore been equiv
aent 10 the passage of measures to that end
| Now, under this wise, refotmatofy democratic ad
minist alton, this has all been reversed, the fire
men have no rights that the five democratic Al
| deimen ard the returning board" of tue \ Dung
| Mems Democratic Club, are bound to respect. A
| blow has been dealt the firemen of Augusta from
| the honored Chief down to the .prghtly little
| torch boy, the disastrous effects of which cannot,
At present be measured. To show that We are not
| speaking At random, we will briefly review the
facts.
| When the democrats came into power this
spring, they intended TO make clean sweep of all
| the city officers. But they at once confront
| Ell with the fact that convention of the Augusta
fremen had presented to then for their suff age.
the name OF Henry T. Morse as Chief OF the fire
| department There was an allopsthc pill to swsl-
low at the very outset of their municipal career.
| T be appointment hung fire until the matter was
| submitted to the returning board, to which We
| have alluded. Their investigation showed that
from the incorporation of the Augusta fire de
partment the unvaryipg practice had been for the
fremen to select their Chief aud his assistants. and
for the city council to endorse and confirm
| the selection. So the returning board
| YIELDED Uncle Harvey" and his democratic
colleagues closed their eyes, opened their mouths,
gulped down the bitter pill. and chose Morse
as Chief Engineer. The next obstacle in the
| way Of democratic reform. the reappoint-
ment of Alex. McCausland "a republican, as
driver of the city team. His name was pre-
sented to the board by Chief Engineer Morse.
backed up by petition from every member save
one Of the Cushnoc steamer company. Ever
since the revision of the city ordinance ten years
ago it has been the Chiefs duty 20 appoint driver
| of the city team. McCausland's name was pre-
sented to the board, laid over q meeting until the
| assembling aud deliberaion of the returning
board, and then rejected, solely on the ground
haca ba i
fl, for the place, for search the city over and
his equal in that capacity will not be found. Iii.
rejection was slap in the face of the Chief En-
gineer ard the fremeu who stood with him in the
recommendation. But thew bore it with becom
| ing patience.
The Chief next presented the name of Fred
Clark, q democrat, but he had committed the un.
psrdonsbe sin of voting at the spring election
against the leader at the board and so his name
was rejected, though he came well recommended
The Chief, still patient under this hard usage, next
presented the name OF Seth Clark, another demo
crst and who has the qualifications of first elias.
driver. The same day petition sent to the
board, signed by influential democrats and .tou,
fremen, for the appointment of Frank Yeaton. In
this dilemma the board called off from Labor to
|
| and them went into erecutire session. The result
Of this session was that they again rejected the
appo:ntee of the Chief, and also the name o.
Yeaton, and passed the following ordinance
Be il ordained By The city council Of the city O
| Augusfa, as follows:
SEC. /. Any officer or employee Of the fire de
partmeht. who by existing ordinances are required
to he appointed by the Mayor and Aldermen. OF
appointed by the board of Aldermen on the nom
nation Of the Msvor or Chief Engineer of the FIRE
department shall be elected BY the board Of alder
men by ballot
SEc. 2. All ordinances or parts of ordinances
inconsistent with this ordinance, are hereby e.
pealed
That rereal of an existing ordinance, takin.
the appointing power out of the hands of repnb
lican Mayor and a republican Chief Engineer
was the little rock with which our democratic
friends intended to kill two birls-the Superin
tendent of Burials who still lives and is about h
ghostly occupation, ready to decently inter the
democratic party next spring. and the driver O
the city team, who had to "step down and out "
So having rejected every nouAlnee that had beer
presented nv the Chief they enactpd This orli