Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-18
FEW WORDS MORE OF HISTORY.
"a PUT UP JOB"
Explosion Of Another Fire Cracker.

history oil the recent unprecedented interference
of the democratic board of Aldermen with our fire
| department-the interference and meddng that
have resulted in the resignation of the Chief and
| one assistant, the disbsndng Of one OF the com
panies, the breaking up Of another, and the gen.
ersl decentralization of the entire department.
The Standard. this week, has article intend
ed, we suppose, as reply, but which touches not
a single charge made. We gave the fdcts of his
| y,-and very recent local history-facts which
cannot be controverted. But the STANDARD, with
characteristic hippancy, turns its visls Of abase
upon Henry +. Morse and Alex. McCsusland.
| And we will here remark that the more it abuses
these men, the higher they will stand in the esti-
nation Of the COMMUNICATIVE more it abuses
them the wider the breach made in the fire depart
| ment, for no two men in this community are more
strongly entIenched in the affections Of the fire.
men. 1t accuses Morse, in resigning, Of putting
| up the job for political capital, and that he was
inspired to do after various consultations at the
Journal office. The first knowledge we had Of his
| intention to resign, was when the report Of the
| Aldermens meeting was placed iD our hands by
the obliging City Clerk, he having prepared it for
| publication. The person who would accuse Henry
Morse with stirring up strife in the fire depart
ment, to which be has devoted so unsefshly so
many of the best years of his lfe must be stran-
ger in the community or entirely unacquainted
with his character. How much crowdng did the
board Of Aldermen expect Mr.. Morse capable of
enduring How much OF insult and abuse
he expected to bear before handing in his resigna-
ton Was he to be spit upon, once, twice, thrice,
and then. like Uriah Heep, humhly turn and saw,
"Gentltmen Of the Board Of Aidermen please 10
sph upon me again ?" The board Of Aldermen
hesitated in the first place. before choosing him
| Chief, though he was the unanimous choice of the
fremen; they rejected his appointments, one after
| another d. mocratic nominees. as we'll as republic
can nominees and though he bore these patiently.
they finally enacted an ordinance that took away
every particle of power that the Engineer has
heretofore exercised since the formation Of the de-
psrtment He could not even say who should
| compose the several companiesl Personally ac-
qusnted with all the iremen, knowing just the
right men to serve he couldn't make the selection.
oh, no. The board of Aldermen in their pro-
found wisdom, some of the members Of which
never saw a fire engine, who would be frightened
| to death at the bursting Of hose, and who would
run away from a fire. knew better than Morse
who ought to run wild der machine" We
shouldn't be surprised to see them passing
an ordinance providing each member of the board
with q fire cap, belt and spanner, Offering
prizes to be contended for at . grand fremen's
muster open to competition TO the members Of
the boards Of Aldermen throughout the State
These very excellent gentlemen know so well how
to run fire department!
More than this, they didn't leave Morse even
the poor privilege of organizing a company. In
all good conscience would like to inquire how
much thew expected the man to bear And what
did they want of An officer, anyway, after they
had abolished the Office Resigned 6ecause il
,sas put up job! We should say so, and most
bunglngly put up by the Aldermen. and that
will be a lasting disgrace to the city. That Morse
rema ned in the position so long is marvel; had
he not resigned, he would have been less than
man. If the board had rejected his name at the
outset, that act would have whitened into dece ncy
in contrast with their recent conduct.
Again. the STANDARD "learns, from reliable
sources, that the first assistant engineer resigned
on account of his engagements with the railroad
company. Indeed, what Intelligent contraband"
has been mparting this Information to the Stan
inteifered with Mr.. Robbins connection with the
department, where he is great favorite, as he i,
in all the walks oflfe. We don't "learn from re-
liable source" we happen to know that it was
the extraordinary course Of the board of Alder
men that touched Mr.. Robbins sense Of honor
and all unknown to his Chief, without any collu-
sion whatever. consulting only his sense of man
hood and the propriety of things, he handed his
resignation to the Mayor. Those who state the
case differently entirely misrepresent Mr.. Robbins.
His idea of fire service is high above party con-
siderations, and he would not remain in the de-
partment to see it prostuted to the base purposes
eff any returning board of designing politicians.
So Alex. McCsusland was rejected because he
wears "broadcloth and gloves" This was an Of
fence to "the great unwashed" We wonder if
Alex. has always had on broadcoh and glove.
when laundering down our slippery hills on cold
winter nights, the snorting machine waking the
echoes rushing to the scene of danger to save the
property perhaps of these gentlemen Aldermen
who were nicely tucked up in their beds in their
night caps Have gloves and broadcloth interfer-
ed at all with the performance of his daily duty
with the city team In some wav, notwithstand-
ing the broadcloth and gloves, Alex. has received
the hearty endorsement not only of the fire de-
partment, but of the Street Commissioners the
Mayor and all who have been familiar with hi.
service for the past few years. So we are to I'M
derstand that Alex was rejected because he wears
good clothes But was Seth Clark rejected for
the same reason He was backed up by such men
as Oscar Holway. but rejected, nevertheless.
Holways money is good enough when there's
election bills to foot, but his influence with the
hoard amt worth cent. especially when Morse i,
to be struck down, and "Uncle Harvey" has a
nephew who don't wear broadcloth and gloves"
and who wants the place.
As to the present status Of the companies: The
Pacfcs have disbanded. The Cushnocs have
been induced by Captain Fagg, who has the in
terests OF the department at heart, to continue
duty for the present They have property in the
hail. they have az organization in which they
take special interest, they aware that the pro-
| lection of the property of the city from fires is
manly entrusted to their care, and for the time
being are willing to forego persona in suits for the