The Hartford Herald

The Fireworks Ordinance.

The Hartford Republican gets quite a spell on itself because Mr. Cleve Iler, after firing a sky-rocket in the court house yard, was arrested and taken before the city court and fined $1 and costs, amounting to eight dollars, for an alleged violation of a lately-passed city ordinance. The Republican intimates that The Herald was responsible Mr. Iler's trouble.

In a recent issue of The Herald commenting on the passage of this very strenuous ordinance, which not only knocks the small boy out of some harmless fun at the joyous Christmas season, but prevents our merchants from making a nice profit on a large stock of fireworks, we said that according to the reading of the ordinance, the boys could go into the court house yard and shoot as much as they pleased—up in the air. We yet say we were right. The ordinance says that fireworks shall not be exploded upon any of the sidewalks, streets or alleys of Hartford. This is plain and explicit and does not take in the court house square.

As to where the fire balls fall after being exploded, the city council has no right to prohibit, as this would forbid a man from shooting fireworks on his own premises, which, they say, was not forbidden. The Republican says it thinks it was an outrage to fine young Iler. We think so, too. The Herald aims to get no one in trouble, and we believe if young Iler had demanded a trial instead of confessing a fine, he would have been found not guilty. The city council owes it to Mr. Iler to see that his fine is yet remitted.