The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-12
ST. LOUIS APATHY.

The apathy and inefhcie1cy which exists
| here is something incomprehensible 10 the
Chicago mind II Is no longer the sSupor
of first shock II is the pure. unsdulter-
ated. criminal ineficiency.
St Louis has been struck by a tornado.
Over 2.50o people have been rendered
homeless. Fully so people have been
killed, and over loo seriously injured
Nearly half of the eity's buildings have
been destroyed. or nearly so. The ship
ping has received a serious blow. The
telegraph, telephone and lighting systems
have been wrecked. People lie buried and
decsyiDg in the ruins. Dead animals
strew the streets. Outcasts are living
in tents and camping in the ruins. The
air IS filled with sSekening doors Pesti-
lence and hunger hang over the city Ike
the ghosts OF those black clouds which
wrought the damage.
Mayor Walbridge has been interviewed a
number OF times and has announced that
great calamity has befallen the city ard
that now Is the time for action. not words.
A meeting of the merchants has been cali
ed on the floor OF the exchange and a
paltry $1,000 has been subscribed The
city council has met and proposed-but
not pasSed-an additional Appropriation 10
meet the emergency.
Further than this the chief executive
has exhibited the false pride Of the ruined
gentleman, who. though dependent and
helpless, is too proud to accept charity
and too high-born to work Offers OF
assistance have been declined. both on be-
half Of the municipality which he in part
represents and also on behalf of private
sufferers for whom he was not authorized
to speak.
Having refused aid on behalf OF the cor
porate body, the mayor and his cabinet Of
icials have demonstrated their lack of
ability to meet the emergency by a mas
terful inactivity and inefsiciency.
The city authorities have not taken
steps to clear the steets. They have not
taken steps to remove carcasses which
threaten the health OF the citizens: they
have done nothing toward pulling down
tottering walls and dilapidated buildings,
which menace the living; they have not
repaired the system OF street lighting.
They have not performed even the ordi-
nary functions which would devolve upon
them by reason of occupying their Of
fees and drawing their salaries Nor
have they begun. or attempted, TO do So
In the way of extraordinary measures
born OF sympathy and the larger feelings
Of humanity. they have been, If poss:bIe
even more deficient. They have not called
a public meeting or taken counsel with
the citizens; they have not organized a
volunteer relief corps to dig the buried
from the ruins; they have not called for
volunteers to work under the direction OF
the police or fire departments in the labor
OF rescue They have not appointed re-
sponsible committees. opened relief sta
tons. investigated the neds of the home
less or in a word done anything OF the
many things which a wide-awake, enter
pristng set OF officials might be expected
10 do under the circumstances. They
have given the lie to their early boast that
ST. Louis is amply able to take care of it.
self. and have proved to a demonstra ton
that someone has egreg5ously blundered
No more singing rebuke 20 official IN
capacity could be imagined than a call
for a mass meeting issued yesterday by
the South Broadway merchants. The pur-
pose of the gathering which is to be held
this afternoon IS 10 spur on the relief work
and invite aid from abroad.
The spectacle is a remarkable one. The |
sufferers-the citizens and the merchants |
finally rise up in body and contradict |
the words OF their elected representative |
and call for assistance in their time OF |
trouble. They come together to spur the |
feelings of humanity; TO urge that the !
dying who may still be saved be lent /
helping hand; that the unbnried be not !
permitted to tester and rot in the public /
streets; that the hungry be fed, the naked |
clothed, and that Christian civilized peo-
Pile cease to exhibit the indifference of /
oarbariaRs.-ChIcago Journal