The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-23

II is with the deepest regret, and SYM
patby for a public official whom We had
believed to be beyond reproscb IS to his
integrity, that we arc compelled to charge
the overseer of the Poor MATTHEW J.
,cb&susoS win the s~Ssfsyagant, epa-
! au, hox,zed, even dishonest use of'n,oney
from the posr funds Of tho citye' rrovi-
dence. 20 p'-'e
1t is perhaps Unnecessary to state that we
have long doubted that the present &C.
cupint OF the Office Of overseer of the
Poor was quite the man that the Goo-Goos
have painted him. We doubted his ell
cheney. We suspected that the poor funds
might not be SO well discussed as they
ought to be. One year ago, when Mr.. T..
BENZ. ANDREWS, Mr.. JESSE METcALF.
Mr. j. e. PrGRAM, Mr.. ISAAC q BATES,
Rev. FLOYD W. ToMKISs, Jr., Mr.. JOHN
L. HuNrsMAN, Mr.. WILLIAM SPENCER
and others-how familiar we are, BY the
way. with some OF these names in con-
ntction with" REFORM nomination papers,
the COMMITTEES OF fifty, etc, OF the pres.
cnt campaign! = signed an appeal to the
voters OF Providence OF all parties to re-
elect Mr.. CUMMINGS because OF his sex
perience" and his liability" and because
also the Office should "be kept free from
party politics." and that the Gloss OF
the services OF Mr.. CUMMINGS would DO
6 great loss to the city Of Providence
We had then placed at our command a pro-
test from men Ut equal standing and in
telligence with the endorsers of Mr.. CUM
MINas.
This protest set forth that Mr.. CUM
MINGs was inefficient and that his SER
vices were vastly overrated. But we did
not care. AT that time, to combat q
strongly prevailing popular impression in
favor OF Mr.. CUMMINGS on a question
that, after all, rested on nothing more or
less than a difference of opinion between
our fellow-citizen who had had dealings
with him In his public capacity.
But there can be no difference Of opin'
ion as to what is the meaning oftbe facts
and ngures presented In another column.
Mr.. CUMMINGS does not deny them,
though we had hoped he would.
He admits that he has ordered and used
for himself and staff the food for which
bills were sent to the city I e~asury-anS
were paid for by tho city.
We were prompted to this Investigation
by the discovery that the poor depart.
ment was dealing with two OF our lead.
ing firms, a market ard a grocery, that
are known to cater only to a high class
of trade. We looked up few bills AT
the auditors office and became convinced
that somebody was living extravagantly
at he city's expense. We found that the
goods were all delivered to the poor de.
pertinent, We called upon Mr.. CUM
MISos, told him OF the inferences hat we
had drawn, TIE suspicion that had been
aroused by the circumstances, and asked
him about the matter. We assured him
that we should MAKE no charges reflect.
ing on him unless we were convinced
that thsy could be sustained, and SC
ought to be made, and that while such
charges would undoubtedly affect his
chances OF election, as they ought to, we
should In event OF his reelection in the
face OF them, continue to..push our inves-
tigation and his use of the
poor FUNDS for the supplying OF himself
just the same. In word, we did not
propose to drag MIR. CUMMINGS down for
a political purpose. We did DO, propose
to assail Mr.. CUMMINGS character as a
trusted public official without a far bet.
ter object In view than the support of the
interests OF a rival candidate. We GER
s.E-t. .lx.Il ...t. - .l~.--. .s.A~..