Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-10-08

/ employees, who become detectives ben
efciary to the public, learning of
these conditions under privileges not
accessible to the general public, and
the individual is responsible for either
wilfully creating a menace to public
safety, or, for being human. This
last great fact, that we are
only human, and that other maxi.
mized fact that cit is human to err"
may ever soften harsh Judgment,
soothe critical espersions and aid us in
our struggle with the vicissitudes of
life, helping each other rather than
doing no good, but wrong, by expect
ing perfection from imperfection.
When we work together as common
citizens, for the common good, then
nothing can stop harmonious prog.
ress. To illustrates: We have an
ordinance in our city laws requiring
buildings to be fitted with suitable
fire escapes. Now some of the build
ings specified have not been fitted
yet. 1t is to be expected that if the
Chicago newspapers had howled for
the opening up of the fire escapes in
all the theatres, which would have
cost few dollars, that they would
have been calamity howlers, but
AFTER the Iroquis Theatre disaster,
then how anxious were they all to fix
the blame for an event entirely un.
necessary, and to punish the guilty
for loss of human life, which nothing
could restore. How anxious are we
to punish the guilty after the crime,
rather than anticipate its We never
stop to weigh our own indirect re.
sponsibility to the sad occurrence. We
seek to imprison those directly con.
nected, while the real stewards of the
public safety are sleeping at their
post. After the fire at the Iroquis
how many of the Chicago papers
would have given most anything to
have been the one, and only one paper
to have opened these fatal traps and
by their demand for protection, have
saved nearly thousand women and
helpless children from the blackened
ruins. So, turning to our own little
city, we see several buildings without
the required escape. Now, before the
possible occurs, let us look into the
responsibility. The law has been
made, thus discharging, in a measure
only, the sense of responsibility from
the public. The representatives of
the people, employed for the purpose
of enforcing this law, have been noti-
fed of this precautionary measure for
public safety, and lastly the individual |
has been warned. All three are con
cerned The individual owner of the |
building can be seen walking about
enjoying life and deriving profit from
his structure, whose menace to the Il
public has been brought to his atten-
tion. He knows that each day there
are confined in the walls of that
building at dangerous height a num-
Der of individuals whose chances of
safely descending are minimized by
want of suitable avenues. The attend
ant risk and possibility of loss of life
ire daily known to this owner, and
yet he hesitates to equip this building.
And for whya Who can says 1t is
hat ne dislikes to spend money for
his indirect return3 Would he like
his self-same policy turned upon
himself and have occupants refuse to
my longer rent his spaces until he
lid equip the building with safety de-
,iees2 We can dismiss the question
# why don't man be a man, and
lnder the popular cloak Of charity ex-
use his love for money and cOnse-
luent disregard for public safety. If
I required anything else besides
money, would the building be equip
'ed any quiekerl If so, then we are
certainly in a very deplorable state of
ociety, when human life and limb are
worth less than the paltry dollar dug
rom the dust. Dismissing the indi-
,idual owner, who openly allows this
ublic menace for the sake of a dollar
ecause we would hardly care to say
! would be the love of the danger 10 g
5hich his tenants may be exposed,
nj eharred ghosts TO haunt his con ]
cience, We ask 10 see the responsible
iy of the public officials. These Off
ials also know of this law and of this
uilding not being properly supplied
18th apparatus for safe fight, yet,
fieials notify and then set down to
AIT the pleasure or convenience Of
be owner. Under semblenee Of being
reasonable with a fellow" the build
* is allowed TO remain unprotected