The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-13
Fl E R SE ID E AN ID HIS
By ZOE BECKLEY Man and the Far View

I've come to the fly in the soup with
 Rourke and his gang David said as he entered his home. Cora waited for the outburst that she felt was coming. "The l fly Is the rotten building code they want me to swallow" David continued. And not only to swallow it but to tell the city to swallow 1t, too Well, I'll throw the whole mess in their faces and go out and tell the public how hideous a mess i it is.'
 Then you're throwing up the whole situation?" Cora asked disspiritedly Once more, then, it was to be a drop to the foot and the painful beginning all over again.
 You would not have me to do other wise?" David asked sharply You would not have me betray the public into the hands of grafters?''
 No" said Cora shaking her head slow ly. There's nothing to do but start anew elsewhere and forget this whole horrid business
 David winced at the heaviness of heart he was bringing to his wife. But don't you see, Cora. forgetting the whole horrid business is as bad as swallowing it." he said gently. Cora looked up startled, with an intuition of what was coming. ''Yes, dear, if l forget the rotten building code they'll put it over on the public with the aid of some other architect.
 Then what do you intend to do about it?'' Cora asked anxiousy.
 "I'm going to warn the public or the dishonest code the Rourke gang is trying to put over on them," Da- vid said grimly. If the Rourke gang has it's way, tenement homes in this city will be without air, without light, without sufficient fire escapes and will be built of flimsy junk. They will be nests for disease, traps for fire vic tins, and they'll collapse like the fac tory I built. I know the factory coi- lapse was not my fault. But I'm near enough the horrof of 1t to feel it weighting on me. And I shall be no party to such calamities multiplied tbousandfold."
 But, David, you don't have to do any more than resign from the whole business, do your Core insisted. How will you be party to what happens if you have actually refused to have anything to do with it?"
 David looked at her long and per plexidly.
 Cora, it seemed to me for one mo- ment as though you were callous and selfish" he said slowly. But I know, of course, that you are just the op- posite. And yet here you were ready to let me step aside and permit a gang of Wreckers to undermine the tracks ahead of a train full of men, women and children-and the least fortunate men, women and children on earth, too the tenement dwellers! I could not understand it. But now I see why. It is because I put the situation to you too abstractly. And women are not moved as much by distractions as by present and concrete considerations, it seems to me.
 T know that you would not have me do anything dshonorable even if you had to starve to save me-" he continued. 'But in this case, as in many others, not doing anything is the crime. Let's picture the matter concretely. One day the six-story tenement at 5S4 Smith street catches fire. Because there were not sufficient fire es- capes, lot of poor foreigners who live in it are caught. Because of the flimsy material of which the tenement is built the fire eats it up like waste. Because of the weak skeleton the building col lapses with people in 1t. And yet that tenement will have been built with all legal requirements fulfilled, according to the building code the Rourkes are try ing to pass. Now do you see what is my clear duty?"
 But what can you do to stop it-what will you dor Cora asked, clasping her fingers. You have no money or time to fight them with. And they'll hound you; they'll make life miserable for you' And suppose don't do anything about the code?' David asked gently. And when those tenements go up-and go ! down; and l tell you, dear, they will go down-will life be any less miserable for me--for me who could have warned the public and did not?' He took her hands In his. Its hard question to put to you, dear little partner" he said gently. But how are you going to answer it?'