Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-10

So Far 1t Has Been Kept Aloof rs . Whole
and 1t Should Continue to be-Fitness
Rather Than Party Recognition Should
be the Rule.
1t will be an unfortunate day for
Rock Island the moment the paid fire
department becomes part of the mu-
nicipal machinery parceled out as
the reward for political service. The
onward tread of the hungry Office
seeker should be checked the moment
it approaches the fire department.
This is an institution which other
cities more experienced than our
own have learned to keep out of
politics, and SO will Rock Island
sooner or later-but the sooner the
better. Rock Islands paid fire de-
partment is yet in its infancy, so to
speak, but so far it has been wholly
a credit to the city from the first.
Experience and drill are the essen
tials of success in a we'll disciplined
and properly equipped fire depart
ment. Rock Island possesses all
these requisites now and danger only
lies in depriving it of experience or
OF dismounting it in any particular.
There is a heap of difference between
the operation of paid department
and the old volunteer methods. As
brave men as ever protected proper
ty belonged to Rock Islands volun-
teer system, bnt bravery is not the
sole requisite in fighting fires.
Promptness is first. judgment; calm
but quick deliberation such as will
insure protection in the use of water
as well as against fire is necessary.
Mayor-elect q. +. Knox, who, in the
old days of the volunteers. was as
gallant a fire chief as Rock Island
ever had, and who later, as a men,
Der of the council. was thrown in
direct contact with the paid depart
ment, realizes and understands the
difference between the old ways and
the new.
Keep Politics Out.
The intent of this article is not to
dictate, to suggest, or to seek to in
fluence Mayor-elect Knox in his at
titude toward the fire department,
but it is written from the standpoint
of public policy and with the fervent
| hope that whatever is done, compe-
tency and experience will be rec
ognized in the paid fire depart
ment, for which The ARGUS, being
so long the sole advocate, feels an in
terest and ever will.
1t will be said. perhaps, that Mayer
Medill removed the head of the de-
partment for political reasons on en-
tering office two years ago. but this
is not so. The mayors desire was to
continue Chief Ramskill, but he felt
that he could not consistently retain
as the head of the department man
who had repeatedly refused to re-
spect the orders of the council, which
came in the shape of resolution Of
fered by Aid. Knox himself. to sleep
at the engine house. This Chief
Ramskill refused repeatedly to do,
aud aside from the crippling it gave
to the department in night alarms, 1t
did not have a good effect in the de-
part in its head defying and dis
regarding the mandates of the coun-
Gil. This was the only charge against
Ramskill in the world, and but for it
he would have been at the head of the
department today, as far as Mayor
Medill is concerned. But in de-
Gliding that the good of the system
demanded a change Mayor Medill
did not 60 outside of the department
to deal out party reward. He took
the ranking officer in the department
and elevated him. Brahm happened
to be democrat, but Mayor Medill
felt, as did many of his friends, that
Brahm, together with others of the
department, had voted for McCono-
chic, as the latter was not the kind
of man who failed to work all man.
ner of political strings. At any rate
Mayor Medill made BraHm chief.
He discharged his duties generally
satisfactorily, but he did not give
the department the attention he
should at all times. yet he had the
experience, and as fire fighter he
did as we'll as could have been ex-
pected, but when the mayor discov-
cred evidences of immoral conduct
in him, although it was on the very
eve of an election, he removed him
promptly. and as he had done be-
fore, he elevated the next highest
officer to the rank of chief. d.
Collier. Now, Collier is a republi-
can and always has been, yet there
are others who are seeking his job.
others who know no more about the
operating Of paid department
than they do about ballooning.
In this reference is not made
to William Johnston who, although
a republican, has been appointed to
the department. and is not therefore
without some experience, and it is
without prejudice to him that The
AsGUs maintains that q mistake to
its mind would be made in removing
the present chief who has grown up
in the department. step by step,
from the lowest round. and against
whom no charges can be made, and
who il removed at all, would merely
be to satisfy the hunger Of some one
after q political Office, who under
such circumstances would have to be