Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-21

U.
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Acry of fire created panic In a New York city
school yesterday, end fifteen little children were
crushed to death Some of the teachers who on .ht
In tue presence OF such dan ger ami with the fear
ful responsibility restin- upon them to have re-
tained presence OF mind. overcome by fright
ana The result was that tue rror-strickeD child
rem endeayored to escape In a mass This calamity
Is warning TO all the cities wing large school
buildings which are duly filled. and m my over
CROWDED, With children. Tie fire which caused
Tie alarm In the New York school scarcely raised
u oiaz', ana was soon extinguShe1. II ID the IN
mates remained In the tui.din5 no harm would
nave come to any. The les taught Is that those
who have charge of pupils in the large school
Dull Iinss should prepare them lives to meet and
Confront an emergency OF rhis kind should it
arise The chilir naturally look to their teach
erS Tor support and sui lane In a time o! peril,
ana calm. del berate action on the part OF teach
erS would prevent panic.
Another lesson taught by this disaster IS the
Criminal folly OF erecting great m my storled
New York -chOOl house five stOr es high, an /
We have similar enOrnItie5 in the way OF shot
tower school buildings.
The defense In the st route trial are wasting
time and argument in on lie voriag to destroy the
force o Rerd IFS testimony by inter losing techni-
cal objectenS Tbs point made -Sterday that
kerdeil Was an incompetent with 81 because he
had already pleaded not guilty ami couli not
testify against his associates after the beginning
OF the trial, feeble. In lee l. Rerdells evidence
does not rest upon the unsupported word OF the
witness. All the most dam cling facts he has dis
closed either have been VIII be cOrrobOrated by
means OF documents or through other witnesses.
The Geographic cOrreSpOn fence with Dorsey has
been demanded from the telegraph company, ana
Will, no doubt. be produced In court to speak for
ITSELF In making these continual objections
based almost entirely upon technical grounds, the
defence expose the weakness Of their case.
In appointing the civil service commission the
PRESIDENT has, apparently, exercised his own
Judgment, after carefully surveying the field and
examining the quail hcatons OF the men recon-
mended. The gentlemen appointed are not poll
tcfans; that is one thing in their favor. OF the
three. MI. Dorman Ii. Eaton is the most widely
known His untring laborS In behalf OF civil ser
vice reform have put him In the foremost ranks OF
those who believe I'm elevlting the public service
by separating 1t from politics. Messrs. Gregory
AMI Thoman are described as men OF ability
practical in their methods, and who have had ex-
peritnce in public affairs.
The Senate passed the tariff bill last night and
the important question now is VIII the House
agree to IL? 1t is generally conceded that II there
Is to be any tariff legislation by this Congress the
House must accept the Senate bill, as it has prac-
ideally abandoned the measure Ii originated. In
caucus and in the Senate Mr.. Morrill, who had
charge OF the bill in the Senate, has Insisted upOn
It's passage and 1t is inferred that In so doing he
had reason TO believe that the measure would re-
ceive favorable consideration in the House.
MI John $. Wise, COngreSSman-e elect from Viz.
g1nfa, declared In the Richmond police court when
arraigned for assaulting the Rev. John E. Massey,
that he would whip the man who inSulted BIN IL
that man We're one hundred and fifty years Old.
Possibly the older the man the more ready Mr.
Wise Is to slap him. Virginia chivalry is at
pretty low ebb when 1t displays itself in the shape
OF slapping the face OF grey-haired old preacher.
The municipal election In Philadelphia yester-
day, while not a complete triumph for the re-
formers, largely strengthened their cause by In
creasing their numbers In both branches OF the
city council The vote was light, and the election
demonstrated that the machine bosses of both
parties have been shOrn OF the power which
formerly enabled them to rule the city and divide
the spoilS
Another effort Is to be made before the adjourn.
ment OF Congress In behalf OF the library bill It
viii be attached to the sundry civil appropriation
Dill, as an amendment, and the friends of the
library believe 1t will pass In this shape 1t will
only require majority to pass IT. and as the vote
In the House the other day TO suspend the rules
came within eleven OF the requisite two-thirds
there is good reason to think the effort win sue
coed
"a rkan ont fho
pTation for official postage stamps let the Senate
perfect the penalty envelope system by the passage
OF Senate bill No. 24o6, which provides that It
Shall be extended to all officers Of the United
States government, including members OF eli Their
house OF Congress" 1t should be embodied In the
legislative bill
The Baltimore merchants, who have petitioned
congress, through Senator German, to repeal the
District tax upon "drummers" display colossal
mpudence, IN view OF the fact that Baltimore in
Mcts like tax upon drummers who visit that
city
The OLD H1sHwAY,