The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-11-20
NEW YORK DEATH rRAP.

A house IN lower New York, full Of
men and women employed "a useful,
productive, honorable labor, after giving
many warnings of weakness, collapsed
and crumbled into the cellar and street,
crushing the life out Of seventy persons.
Tbere never was ; more horrible massa-
gre Civilization is a failure II there is
not somewhere responsibility for cVime
so distressed and so hideous- The In
capacity of the city government for a
decent discharge OF duty has been pam
FULLY evident Ia this affair from the Rrst.
II has been an object lesson teaching The
Smbecility Of the tyranny to which a
mighty city Is Sbjectly submissive. First,
the official Inspections of building was
disclosed as worse than worthless, and
the only thing the rulers had TO say WAS
that there should be more inspectors.
We hear the like impudence and smart
ness from the alleged sUeet cleaners,
who absorb millions and leave the streets
dlsgrAeefully dirty, and the same from
those who pretend to guard the purity
of the water for which ne n channel
has been provided at cost of $50, 900, =
900. There Is no rascality COM
plsIned Of, but the rascal wants an adj
diiiOnal appropriation that he may
enlarge the fraud lac imposes upon the
people. The poor men aud women
smashed under pondsrOus machinery
end rat-eAten 10 tSIe ruins. while the city
lAborers dawled over them. thought
tta, l.,
official Inspection, that experts decided
that the tottcrlnR walls aud shaking
moor were safe, and their confidence lost
them their lives. During the hours
when energy WAS wanted TO clear the
wreck, the triaing with which precious
time Was passed WAS pitiful. and that Is
the way things are done. Tue frightfel
remains Of the working men and women
sacFiticed, we're at last removed, and the
inQuest began. At once IL was seen that
the rulers OF the city had provided them
selves With fslse theories Of an explosion
90 account for the wholesale murder. As
Shere was no stean heller to blow up,
barrels of ben1ene were invented. The
conclusion proof was finished, In spite OF
the official explanation, showing that
y bulldog constructed for the purposes
Cor which the tumbled structure was oc-
Supied should be four times as strong ;
that the upper floors was loaded almost
TO the breaking point, and only . shock
slch a. ne fall of q pile of paper, WIS
required TO produce = catastrophe; that
the position OF the ruins proved the dis
Aster had occur cd frOssa the giving away
of loaded hoors; that tAtystTucture was =
death trap. and all who had responsibility
for lt were criminal; all tins was not
merely Ia testimony-it was demon
strAted; aud the verdict seeks the fasten
the blame upon . little iron pillar, Itself
an original swindRe, having less than
half the metal In it the specifications
called for, and that had broken IKE =
piece OF croekery wiren 1t fell. Now
what are tie working men going to do
about thIse Listen - . few rambling
%iscourses. and pass turgid resolutions
written By tbeoristsy l. that alIl Cas-
obey aot manage 70 ne their votes foS
goed goyerameutG What Il the ballOs
for Il it b sOt for protection Of the pooS
sa<.,s nSAt - life, liberty and the pur-
sass bf hHpsIsessa L. party ssrvitnde ID
sweet thar erimInallty must be cOndoned
f0r It's sAkse