New-York tribune., 1881-12-02

| ference in Chilian affairs, and sneers aV Ohe
| United States for extending special patron
are TO the CalderOn Government. The TACT
is. the Chilians first recognized Calderon as
Provisional President of Peru, and then
we accredited our Minister to him because he
was at the time the only person exercising a
SHOW OF authority in the country.
1t is to be hoped shat no clark horse" will
be- brought out in the Speakership race to de-
feat mcritorious and popular candidate The
Chair OF the House is the last place to put an
obscure man into. In such trying position
medIocrity is about as bad as conspicuous in
competency. Let the best man win in the
present contest Death has robbed the Repub-
lican party of most of its old and strong
leaders. The man whom it now raises to the
high dignity of the Speakership should be big
enough to wear one of their mantles. The
party wants leadership. 1t will not find 1t
among the ambitious third-rate members VINO
are pushing themselves into the list of candl-
dates. From one of the two or three really
able men on the list the choice should be
made.
The verdict of the CorOner's Jury in the
Grand-st disaster may prohtably be read again
in connection with the list of unsafe buildings
handed in by the inspectors yesterday. 1t gave,
with refreshing common sense and with just
idea of the law upon the subject, expression
To the opinion that it is the duty of all owners
and lessees of property to take immediate steps
toward rendering safe and tenantable all prop
erty under tLeir control without waiting for
permission from the Building Department. 1t
hat
law may be upon the subject. Self-preserva-
ton is the first law of nature, and it Will be
utterly foolish for anybody to undertake its
repeal or amendment. If the owner OF build
ing has reasonable cause to believe that 1t is
in danger of falling and crushing his tenants,
his first business is not to go to the Building
Department for permission to do this or that,
but TO get the tenants out of the trap as soon
as possible. Having effected this, he may go
to the Board for authority to do whatever is
necessary; and even if he elected the tenants
by main force be would he pronounced not
maleiactor but benefactor.
The upSettng of Broadway stage yester
day might well call attention to the fact that
there has been no improvement in this style
of vehicle for half century. The bus OF
the present day is inst as difficult of access and
dangerous of egreSS and just as uncomfortable
TO ride in as was the bus" OF the last gencr
alton. Its only real merit is that it will stand
a deal of rough usage in a press, and will
take the wheel off almost any other vehicle
with which it may come in collision without
damage to itself. 1t would be easy enough to
devise a substitute that would be more con
venient Tor passengers and would bring in
as good revenue to the companies. We
suppose that it is useless to add that an ON
nbus needs a conductor just as much as a
street car. In London and Paris a conductor
is considered about as essential as a driver. lie
stands on his perch near the steps, helps peO-
pie out and in, and sees that women and
children are not put down in perilous proXim-
ity to other vehicles. Perhaps there will some
day be conductors on the Broadway omni-
buses, but that will be when public safety
and comfort are more consulted by the COM
Danies than now.