The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-10-22
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
The City Committee Has a Notion Of
Trying Its Own Hand At It.
A LIVELY DISCUSSION HELD.
The Draft Adopted by the Providence
Democracy is the Subject, and There Is
Difference of Opinion on its Adop-
tion-Caucus Reform for 800.

The platform recently adopted by the
Providence Democracy was the shore on
which the Democratic City Committee
grounded at the meeting in the District
Courtroom last night.
When this platform was presented for
adoption as the platform Of the City Com
mittee, there was some fire in the speeches
which followed, and some of the speakers
were bit personal in their remarks.
They finally settled the matter tempo
rari ly by putting it on the table until the
next meeting. There was some discus
sion as TO whether the matter of selecting
supervisors for the election should be left
TO the ward committees or TO the Execu-
tive Committee, but they finally decided
in favor of the latter, with instructions
that they should hand In the names TO
Chairman Carroll of the City Committee
before the last day of this month
Then came the matter of calling the eau
cusses. IL was the unanimous opinion
that the Democrats ought TO wait until
after the Republicans had held theirs. IL
was decided to leave the matter with
Chairman Carroll who should have power
to call the caucusses whenever he, after
should deem il best.
When unfinished business" was called
for Mr.. Mullen presented an amendment
10 the bylaws, by which the chairman of
the city committee should provide check
lists for the several wards and districts at
every caucus, the expense To be borne by
the general committee.
The amendment was the subject for
considerable discussion. Mr. Walker OBJ
jected on the ground that II would leave
the chairman of the several ward com
mittees, whose duty ii now is To procure
such lists, with nothing TO do. IL was
easier for one man 10 procure the list Tor
his own ward than for the chairman OF the
city committee to get them for every
ward and district. John j. Finam ana
Mr. McGann also spoke against the
amendment. and when Chairman Carroll
told the committee that If he was TO get
these check lists the money must be pro
vided before hand, that there was no
trusting" it settled the question ana the
amendment TO the bylaws was voted
down by stiff majority.
Mr. Finam moved that the chairman be
authorized To procure copies OF the check
lists from the City Clerk when they came
from the printer if possible. This called
for more discussion as to whether or not
such check lists could be used, as it was
necessary to use certified" lists, and
these would not be certified" IL was
decided that while they could not be used
at the caucuses still they would be handy
for the ward committees To have for refer
ence and the chairman was instructed TO
get them If he could.
Then came the platform question. Mr..
McGann of the Tenth ward moved that
the executive committee be requested TO
present resolutions on a platform at the
next meeting of the guidance of the
Democracy in the coming municipal cleo
ton.
Mr.. Finan moved as an amendment that
the platform be adopted right away and
offered the platform adopted last week by
the Providence Democracy as the best IN
strument which they could possibly Sc
cure.
Mr.. O'Brien said it would be better to
wait. The city committee didn't know
that the convention would approve the
platform adopted by the city committee.
The convention might adopt another, and
il would look bad TO go before the people
with two platforms.
Mr. Finnan insisted in having the mat
ter attended to right away and presented
the Providence Democracy's platform
This aroused Mr. O'Brien's ire. He said
he committee was not there TO represent
any faction or clique. If we are To have
ANYTHING of the kind, let's have some
thing of our own, something original
He moved that the chairman appoint a
committee TO draw up platform.
Mr.. Finam: "If a committee can i'm
prove on that platform am willing that
il should"
Mr.. O'Brien IF we adopt that plat
form IL means that we endorse everything
the faction known as the Providence De
mocracy does. | represent my ward, not
any faction or clique. Ii is an insult to
our intelligence to foist this on us. IL is
an insult to our intelligence To say TO us
that we are not capable of drawing up a
platform of our own. Remember when
Won vote on this that you are supporting a
iartion, "a clique, the Providence Democ-
racy."
Chairman Carroll "This platform does
not represent faction. IL was adopted
by one of the most influential bodies in
the city, and think we would do well to
adopt it."
Mr.. O'Brien 1--WE have no business to
pass anything of this kind To begin with,
but If we are To do 1t, let's have something
original"
Then it got very spirited, and for the
next ten minutes 1t was impossible to. tell
who was speaking. Finally, the rap,
rap. rap" Of the chairman's gavel restored
order again and on motion OF George
Kirby the matter was laid over until the
next meeting.
Chairman Carroll said that inasmuch
as the press had said so much about ballot
reform i'm caucus, he would like to state n
fact or two lie was in favor of ballot re
form in both caucus and election, but IL
was simply an impossibility To use 1t in
the caucus as yet An election under this
system cost the city $4,000. A caucus un-
der the same system would cost an equal
amount and IL was impossible for the
committee TO get $4,000 out of the 500
which il had for expenses.