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| Grover Cleveland |
The Cortland News, Friday, March 11, 1887.
THE CAR HEATING PROBLEM.
The railroad commission in response to the resolution
introduced by Senator Fassett, has made a report, or rather two reports to the
legislature upon the subject of safe car-heating [see link below--CC editor]. Commissioners Kernan and Rogers
present a majority report and Commissioner O'Donnell a minority report.
The majority report is quite lengthy and
much of the wordiness impresses the reader as used in an attempt to say nothing
that will conflict with any interest that may be involved and to throw the
responsibility for anything that may be done upon the legislature. For
instance, they are very severe upon the practice of using stoves in cars unless
the stoves shall be guarded with strong wire netting or other contrivance to
prevent the scattering of coals! That causes a smile upon the face of every
railroad conductor who reads it. They consider the plan of heating from the
locomotive by steam and give all the objections that are made against it
although these objections have been met and satisfactorily answered by practical
railway men. The two commissioners evidently believe that the stove or furnace
can be made to do the work in some way.
This report also says in respect of lighting,
that "there appears no trustworthy evidence that the present method of
lighting cars with mineral sperm oil of 300 degrees test is dangerous. In case
of collision or sudden shock the lamps are almost certain to go out." The
method of storing gas the commissioners treat rather cautiously, and intimate
that in case of the bursting of a reservoir at the time of a collision a highly
inflammable material would be let loose. Then the report closes with the suggestion
of the following act:—
AN ACT to increase the safety and security of
life upon steam railroads.
The People of the State of New York, represented in
the Senate and Assembly do enact as follows:—
SECTION 1. After January 1, 1888, no passenger
car in use upon a steam railroad of this State
shall be heated by a stove or heater, attached to the inside or outside of
a car, which is not so constructed and
guarded as to prevent the car from
catching fire therefrom under any
circumstances.
§ 2. After the passage of this act no oil
shall be used for lighting any passenger car in use upon a railroad of this State
of less than three hundred degrees fire test.
§ 3. After November 1, 1887, floor systems
shall be maintained upon every steam railroad bridge, trestle or cattle guard
so constructed as to support a derailed locomotive or car, with guard rails or
timbers so constructed as to guide the wheels in case of derailment; and
guardrails shall be maintained upon the approaches of all bridges and trestles
so constructed as to guide the wheels in case of derailment.
§ 4. After November 1, 1887, guard posts
shall be placed in the prolongation of the line of bridge trusses so that in case
of derailment the posts and not the bridge trusses shall receive the blow of the
derailed locomotive or car.
§ 5. Any person or corporation violating any
of the previsions of this act shall be liable to a penalty of $1,000 and to the
further penalty of $100 for each and every day during which such a violation shall
continue.
§ 6. Upon the application of any railroad covered
by the provisions of this act, the board of railroad commissioners may approve
of any proposed safeguard or device to be used under the provisions of this
act, and thereafter the railroad using such safeguards or devices so approved shall
not be liable to any of the penalties prescribed by this act for a violation thereof
in regard to any such safeguard or device,
§ 7. This
act shall take effect immediately.
Commissioner O'Donnell in his minority report takes
hold of the subject as though he was not afraid of burning his fingers or of
the criticism of railroad companies. He says the cars should be relieved of the
dangers now under consideration, and in order to do that laws should be passed
which will prohibit the use of kerosene oil or other inflammable oils for
lighting purposes and prohibit the use of stoves or furnaces in the heating of
passenger cars, except in cases of emergency. That sounds like business.
PAGE TWO.
It is well known fact of history that Grover
Cleveland was drafted early in the war to serve in the Union army. It was the draft which allowed the men to purchase
their exemption by paying the government $300 or hiring substitutes. There were
at the time a number of persons serving out terms for petty offences in the
Buffalo workhouse who were willing to go out as substitutes to escape the completion
of their terms. One of those was hired by Mr. Cleveland, who paid him the
generous sum of $40, a bargain which left $260 in his own pocket.
During the debate on the dependent pension bill
in the House the fact was brought to light that this substitute served out his term
of enlistment, and is now the inmate of a charitable institution in Erie
county. Mr. Cleveland undoubtedly considers a transfer from the workhouse to
the poorhouse a sufficient promotion for the man who took his place in the
army. This should not be allowed to reflect upon his patriotism. He has strong reasons
of his own for remembering the poorhouse with gratitude— Coxsackie News.
Daniel Monihan, of Binghamton, who on May 9, shot
five times and killed Patrick Garvey, whom he thought unduly intimate with Mrs.
Monihan, was Saturday, after five days' trial, acquitted. The jury retired at 7
p. m., Friday, and were ordered by Judge Smith to deliberate over night. The
first ballot stood nine for acquittal and three for manslaughter in the second
degree. The second was twelve for acquittal, the jury subscribing to the form
of verdict required by law, declaring that they did not know the accused to
have been sane at the time he committed the act.
One of the jurymen afterward in conversation
said: "Neither did we find proof of Monihan's insanity from the evidence.
We acquitted Monihan on the ground that the killing of Garvey was a military
necessity. To illustrate— in time of war Congress may violate the Constitution
on the ground of military necessity. In this case Monihan knew that villain was
ruining his family. Garvey persisted in his acts after repeated warning. Had he
attempted Monihan's life, the latter would have been justified in killing him.
He was despoiling Monihan of that which was dearer than life, family honor and
domestic peace. Monihan slew him and violated the law, but justly. We acquitted
him of murder even though he killed the man."
Grover Cleveland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland
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