The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-17
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CHAPTER III.

And il came to pass as the night wo re
on and silence grew profound that the
Pharisee made another miraculous dis
covery. So intense was the quietness that
he could even hear his conscience chiding
him for his wrong doings. Such was his
second discovery. And fear seized him
and his knees knocked together and his
tongue Glove to the roof of his mouth,
and his spirit was smitten with anguish.
And all of his members save one refused
to obey him, and that was his right hand,
which had never been controlled by COM
mon sense or reason, but now it seemed
to be possessed of supernatural power.
And he said TO himself will let this hand
write for me. And it wrote after this
style; Good people of all lands we have
been grievously deceived. We thought
we had made great discovery.
We thought we had discovered that the
city was flooded with watered stock of
the Union Railroad and Narragansett
Electric Light companies, and it was time
for the righteous Democracy TO build for
itself an ark so as to float above the seeth-
ing waves of monopoly and corruption.
We thought we had discovered those
things which no one else knew, and in
truth 80 we had, for we have since learned
that we had discovered nothing that was
true. and we have learned that IL is very
much easier TO discover untrue things that
no one else knows than 1t is TO dis
cover true things which no one
knows. And there was no truth
in the story we published Tuesday about
watered stock, and we are very sorry, and
there is no help in us. What we said
arose from misapprehension, but we
a. al, .i9a ahan al ric
often that we can no longer trust our
selves to do those thirgs which we think
ought to be done. We think the people
would like 10 know more about that
watered stock, and inasmuch as we are in
competent to learn that for ourselves, we
humbly request the franchise committee
which we have so shamefully abused. To
find out these things for us, so that in the
future we may at least know something
that is true about the corporations
And il came TO pass that the next day
the substance of that confession was
printed in the paper. And then the
pharisee's friends knew what was the
matter. And they shook their heads
sadly and said "That indeed Is n change.
Verify this man must be insane, for he
now for the first time tells the truth"
And one lifted up his voice and cried
aloud "Lo. the Archangel, we are told,
fell from heaven TO hell in many days and
nights; but David, the Pharisee, has sur
passed him For he has fallen from the
grace of Democratic untruth 10 the dis
grace Of Republican truth-a distance
much greater than that covered by the
Archangel, and he did it in one short day.
ON what fall was that my friends
What n confession for us 10 make in the
hour OF victory-that our campaign talk
was all false How long. oh, how long
will this continue ?" And only the sad
echo Of his own voice answered him.
Aud the hungry Democrats separated
and wended their way wearily homeward
and the wind whistled through their tat
tered garments and clung 20 their gaunt
forms. and their shoes with many patches
sounded strangely clear through tine
streets. for they were lonesome aud the
night was cold, bitter cold.