The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-01
The NEWS" TURN NOW.

Citizens of all cities have just and
proper horror Of competition that involves
the continual tearing up of streets liz IL
perfectly feasible to get all the benefits OF
active competition by limiting the fran
ei ehise granted one company by such condi,
lions as Will insure low prices and good
service, and proper payment to the city
treasury. ry.-Telegram.
Except that the above remark ap-
peared in the Telegram, one might have
taken IT Tor an argument for the election
OF Charles Sydney Smith. 1t set forth
precisely what he is pledged to do.
The annual report of United States
Labor Commissioner Carroll ID. Wright,
dealing with average earnings and cost OF
living OF families In this country and in
Europe, shows that our people earn more
and live better than those across the
water.-Boston News.
And yet some people want us to try
European ways.
The pharisees under the direction of
tomplatt Immediately adopted their ia
miliar tactics and set up the lying claim
that the Republicans had carried the leg
islature.
The forid editor must have had his
mind on his own tom-tom when he wrote
''tomplatt."
NJ. de Giers's presence in Paris last
week meant war; his visit to Berlin this
week Is an assurance of peace. And there
you are.-Journal and Bulletin.
NJ. de Gierss movements are without
question interesting, but the Journal
seems 70 have forgotten altogether, for L
think it must once have known, and the
Bulletin also, that tomorrow there will
be an election in Providence.
The present mayor makes no effort
whatever to correct any of these abuses or
to exert his influence for better admins
tration. He has openly declared by his
acts and by his speech that he is wholly
gram.
That is the good Telegram talking. 1t
hears many things that have never been
said. Ii makes no suggestions" but
contents itself with trying to pull to
pieces the work of other people.
The head of the most important city de
partment is a politician, not a practical
man, and he displaced man who is an
expert and was an honest oflicial.-Tele-
gram.
Some people are little too expert for
the good people of Providence. Mr..
Coleman was good man, but he antag-
onized the people when he compelled
them to do what they did not desire to
do. Everyone knows that Mr.. Smith is
the finest commissioner of public works
the city ever had
The general finances of the city are in a
bad way The general debt is very large
and 1t is recklessly increased for purposes
other than actual necessities. IL Is shown
elsewhere how badly the water debt has
burden it will become when its first bonds
mature In 1900.-TeleKram.
And yet the Telegram says it would
not suggest any changes. If only the
election of Mr.. Potter were consum-
mated everything would be all right
and things could go ON as before. OF
course they could. They'd have to. But
| they would better be managed without
| the Telegram and Mr.. Potter.
"a protective tariff cheapens products;
| a revenue tariff cheapens men," declared
| Major Mckinley in his Boston speech. 1t
would be impossible to put this great fact
| in fewer or better words. York
| Press.
And vet the free trade calamity
howlers will continue to cry that the
| tariff is tax to the end of time.
Massachusetts, is gradually awakening
| to the fact that certain young congress
men who had loved TO pose rs ''in-
| dependents and 'reformers" are really
| pretty hopeless specimens of hide-bound
| lartisans. Journal.
Independents are pretty apt to turn
out that way.
Mayor Smith told the meeting of Re-
publicans on Saturday that he was in this
municipal campaign for reelection lin
| the interests of good government and the
Republican party. ."-Telegram.
And that is "the size of it" too.
IL remains for the voters of Providence
| to declare next Wednesday whether they
will give away that which ought to yield
large revenues to the city treasury and
lower taxes materially, or whether they
will keep that which IL their own for their
own bene6t.-Telegram
| There is no such question involved.
| The whole matter lis in the hands of a
| committee of able and honest men
whom the people have just reelected.
The mayor, as is well known, favors
contracts for franchises extending not
over fifteen years and good remunera-
ton from the corporations for the use of
| the streets. The committee can and
will insist upon such terms as will be for
the good of the city, but they will prob
ably not consult the Telegram. That's
the trouble.
Mayor Smith has little to be proud Of in
| the political situation in this city. He
| has been practically repudiated by his
own party.-R l. Democrat.
All! But Brer Potter has about
| 80 votes less than Brer McNally got
| in the disastrous rout Of last year. AS
! Abraham Lincoln used TO say, DO you
know what that reminds me OFF,"
A vote for Potter on Wednesday next is
| a vote for economy In the administration
of city affairs. Telegram.
There has never been the slightest evil
dence of an opinion on city business by
Mr.. Potter himself, although "A miserly
desire to stop public improvements has