The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-09

| intelligence or the honesty of the ma
| jority of this body as TO deem IL either
| wise or necessary TO place them under the
! guardianship of the minority as proposed
| by this rule.
Mr.. Mccarthy took the ground that a
motion to reconsider had been used to
| put matter beyond the power OF the
! council to consider il for ii was followed
! by motion to lay on the table and hence
| il could not be taken up. This action
has been followed by motion to adjourn
! for few minutes, the body has been
called together, and the measure has been
rushed through. 1t was To prevent such
| hasty legislation that he had introduced
the amendment and there was precedent
| in the rules of the board Of aldermen.
Mr.. Parkhurst showed that small mi
nority could control the disposition OF
any matter at a meeting subsequent to
! that at which ii was tabled, even il a ma
| jority should desire to pass it. As to the
reference TO the precedent in the board OF
aldermen, he said hat the developments Of
the past six months in that body
whereby they had sought to nulify GER
tain measures in violation of the law had
not influenced the council to follow in
their wake. The majority could be trust
GU W give HOutSl
Grafton to every measure without being
thwarted by the minority by obstructive
tactics. The gentleman himself was a
striking illustration of the point that
the council would not indulge in
any prccipitate legislation as was evil
denced at the time when legislation on
terminals ~Sacilities and franchises to the
telephone and Union Railroad companies
were before the council. IL such guardian
ship is to be placed over the body by
small minority, it would be better to
change the quorum and let seven or eight
members do the business.
How II Was Jumped On.
Mr.. Mccarthy replied to the sarcastic
reflections by the chairman OF the COM
mittee, and then the roll-call was taken,
resulting in the defeat of the amendment
by vote of indefinite postponcment, 25
to 13. Mr.. Sheahan voted with the major
ity, and the minority included Messrs.
Blanchard, Burdick, Darcy, Duffy, Free
man, Hickie, Knight, McGuy, Mccarthy,
o'Connell, Ryan, Stone and San Souci.
Employment of the Poor.
Mr.. Vaughan, chairman OF the commit
tee on finance, reported the resolution au-
thoriziug the park commissioners to fur
nish labor for the citys poor and those
out of work at Il per day for nine hours
work, and recommended it's indef-
mite postponement. Mr.. Vaughan
stated that the committee
had investigated the matter
thoroughly, and while they would have
been glad TO have seen some way in which
the matter should have been done, still
he. a III.
to report favorably on the resolution IL
the public parks were made the working
ground fully 80 per cent. OF the money APP
propriated would be literally thrown
away. in the mind of Mr.. Vaughan the
city had better appropriate outright sum
OF money to support the poor within its
limits.
Mr.. Darcy protested against the post
ponement of the action on the matter. He
stated that the city engineer and commits
sioner of public works had stated that the
work could be done and he could not ac-
count for the sudden change in the senti-
ments OF these officials as was implied in
the report OF the committee. This is a
matter entirely void of politics. 1t is n
matter OF humanity. There s.no way i'm
which charity can reach the |
object as in the giving of work. |
No one who has not been through the mill |
can realize how grateful even that small |
pittance which it is intended 10 pay the |
workers is to them. The council cannot |
afford to delay action The workmen can
give a good days work for their money |
and no obstacle should be thrown i'm the
path OF the furnishing of that labor |
In looking over the records OF other cities |
it is enough To bring the blush of shame |
to the cheeks OF everyone in the council |
chamber when II IL found that in all the |
other places some action has already been |
taken upon this matter. Ii is the best |
way to dispense charity. You do not |
make the recipients feel as though they |
were paupers. They are poor but proud. |
There is nothing political about this, it is |
simply an act OF humanity. Among those |
men who are to be benefited by the fur
nishing of labor are doubtless many who |
contribute to the citys welfare by the |
paying OF taxes. These men we must look |
after and must take care OF.
Mr.. Burdick said that the members OF |
the council would have 10 take hold OF |
the matter for themselves. II is not only |
the man we are to benefit, but his wife |
and the children. We should arrive at a |
decision at once, not delay action in the |
least on Sucn al important |
matter. Many Of the members of the |
council probably never wanted for meal. !
Just let them put themselves in the place |
of the poor man who knows not where
his next meal is coming from and then
see irfhey would oppose and obstruct the
immediate action on this question Ex-
pericnce is the best OF teachers and will
cause man To see far more clearly than
any amount of book learning.
Mr.. Burdick hoped that u would not
be called politics when he spoke as he did.
The members oi the council were assem-
bled TO do their duty TO their respective
wards and TO the city II was their duty
to the city TO act upon this measure and
he hoped that the question would be
speedily settled. Said he In conclusion.
ain Gods name think OF those little child
ren, that mother and the father, the latter
doing nothing Think of the fact that II YOU
extend charity TO him you are leading
him TO tie life and habits OF the pauper. A
man should work and IL IA the husfn.ss ~