Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-10
SOME FAULT TO FIND,

| will null ~ lIND1
How the Lives of the Tracy Household
Might Easily Have Been Saved = Har-
risOn the Worst Cursed Man Since Andy
Johnson-Gorman Democrats FatGenIng
Under nm Administration They Despise.
lFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT.
| WAsnNGToN, February 9-Itis easy, sy,enough
to say how things ought to have been done
after they are badly done; but it must appear
| to every one who has followed the develop
ments of the Coroner's inquest IN the matter
of the catastrophe at the residence of Secre-
tary Tracy that it was through lack of pres
ence of mind that the victims of that horrible
| affair lost their lives. The first mistake was
made by the persons who discovered the fire.
When discovered the blaze was q trivial one
in the parlor Had the parlor door been kept
shut, the flames could have been confined to
that room until ample time was afforded for
the escape of everybody. But the place was
very hot, and the moment the door was thrown
open the cold air rushed in with tremendous
force and drove the hot air and the flames out
of the room and up the stairway, which was the
natural vent. Then it appears that all the
| doors were thrown open, either by the person
| who attempted to alarm the family or by mem
bers of the family themselves in their wild
efforts to escape. Yet with all this, even after
the opening of the doors and spread of the
flames, every member of the family might have
walked down the stairs and out of doors with
almost no harm, if they had kept their heads
cool inside. After the arrival of the firemen
Chief Paris went up the stairs and rescued
the Secretary. Now, if he could go
up the stairs safely at that time, certainly the
members and servants Of the Tracy family
| could have gone down the stairs at any time
previous to that after they were awakened.
| Yet before that Mrs. Tracy, according to the
evidence at the inquest, had taken the fatal
| leap from the window, Mrs. Wilmerding and
| her daughter had jumped from another win
| dow, the Secretary had fallen unconscious from
having waited to put on his trousers, the door
Of his chamber standing wide open and the
| smoke pouring in, and Miss Mary Tracy and
| the French maid were smothered and burned
In 20 years and more of indirectly running
| after the machine" have never known more
needless sacrifice of life, all due primarily to
| the unclosing of the door of the room where
the fire originated, and after that to the utter
| Grazing of the occupants of the house with
| fright. But who can sayr suppose we would
all do the same thing in the same circumstances,
| to use the common phrase. With all the les
sons of the fatality of a rush at theater in
| time of fire, people will stampede, though they
know that in all the history of such occurrences
if the audience had gone out quietly there
would have been little or no loss OF life.
| THOUGH this terrible incident has given
funereal appearance and feeling to every
| thing and everybody this week, it was not
enough to stop the growing at the administra-
ton. 1 have never heard anything like the
s'cussing" Harrison and his Cabinet officers are
getting from Republicans of all shades and
colors and kinds. The criticisms of Cleveland
by the Democrats after he had been in office
for year were caresses compared with those
of Harrison by the Republicans. 1 verify be-
lieve that Andy johnson was as popular with
the Republican party at any time as the grand
son of William Henry Harrison is now. All
over the country Democrats of the most parti-
san character are in office, chuckling IN their
sleeves at the inaction of the administration,
damning the Republican party, and laying their
plans to cut its throat at the next election.
Now. the most extreme reformer must agree
that where one is put into office as reward for
political services and makes of his Office po-
fitical machine 1t Is but the most ordinary of
political sense to turn him ont with change Of
administration, that the office may be con-
Quoted in harmony with that administration.
Yet what DO we sect Take the City of Bslti-
more for instance. 1t would be difficult to
point out Just what the Democrats of that
Gorman-ridden city have done to earn the
gratitude of this so-called Republican admins
tration; yet in that city the Collector of
Customs, the Naval Oficer, the Surveyor
of Customs; the United 9, States District
the General Appraiser and two assistants, the
Supervising Inspector of Steamboats, and two
assistants, and the United States Assistant
Treasurer, all with their various sub-oficials
and employees. are all German Democrats. dyed
in the wool; their only principle party and
plunder, and all resting serenely under the pro-
tecEng wings of the good Mr.. Harrison.
THE only Republican appointed to office in
Baltimore is Mr.. Johnson, recently ap-
pointed postmaster, and he will not take his
fI1a I'M has n OffiP f0r
full five years. The nomination of Mr.. John
son narrowly escaped being withdrawn, be-
cause the President discovered that the applI-
cant took drink of something warm occa-
siOnally. not rejecting that, to be Maryland
Republican under this administration, requires
a deal of stimulus. l have not heard however,
that he has inquired into the habits of the
Democrats who are protected in office by him.
The only other person appointed to office in
Baltimore by Mr.. Harrison is Mugwump, who
voted for Cleveland in lSS4, and for any use he
is to the party he might as well be Democrat.
1t is much the same all over the country.
Heelers for Democratic bosses are kept in
office, and Republicans are cooling on the out
side. Possibly they are heelers of Republican
bosses who are knocking for admission. Ad-
mltting that so long as these offices are looked
on as political spoils can Harrison doubt for a
moment which he should prefer?
THE President has placed most OF his reIa-
tives who sought Office. Most of the Cab
met officers have given their relatives snug po.
sitions. Beyond this is the bOrder-land of IA
tigue in the matter of ofice-giving. The ap-
pointing powers grow weary the moment any
one mentions an office. They go duck shoot
ing and pleasure hunting, and stay away days
and days from their duties, drawing full salary
all the time, but they can't listen to requests of
good. hard working, high tariff Republicans
for office for themselves or friends. If they
do it is to examine the applicant with a micro
scope TO discover if he has ever taken a drink
of beer or uttered a sweAr-wOrd. In short,
they strain at Republican gnat and swallow a
whole German phalanx.
A frequent and very significant expression
with Republicans is: 81 want to go as dele
gate to the next National Convention" which
means that Mr.. Harrison will get no vote of
theirs for a renomlnation. Mr.. Harrison may
say it is better to be Tight than to be Presidents
but on what theory OF right he can excuse his
inaction it would be difficult for him to explain
to any politician or good party man. Republi-
cans seem to think it can be explained only on
the theory of laziness.
Meanwhile, they turn to big Tom Reed'' for
proof that there is one Republican who is in
high position who has spinal column.