The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-14
AS TO MIR. ANNA GARuN SPENCER

| oTbNCEk, anu 10 make leW ODSerVa-
tions OF our own on Mr.. SPENCER.
The quotation is from a letter to the
editor Of the Boston Herald, published
in that esteemed contemporary, and aim
ing to elucidate, for the benefit of Boston,
the Indignation" that bubbles up in
Mr.. SPENCER's bosom and surges and
rolls and breaks into impotent spray
against the Union Railroad Company,
the city government, the General AS
sembly and anything else that happens
to be just now lined up on the beach:
the men who conceived and work ed up the
mass meeting were the members OF the Provi-
dence Union for Practical Progress. and they
are. almost to man, independent in politics
They have had but one desire, to effect re-
| form; and to that end unite all good men and
true, or whatever party or creed. as CO.
workers. They have met with encouraefpg
success. The only paper in the city which has
opposed the practical aim of the union OF late
Is rabid Republican sheet, said TO be owned
chiefly by one of tho heavy tookhoiders OF the
road; but il is, fortunately, an insignificant
little concern which you probably have never
heard of and which exerts no appreeiable in
fuence in the city. The great dailles. The
Providence Journal and The Telegram, have
for some time bravely opposed the encroach-
ments of the railroad company and have
backed up the efforts Of the union for progress
to make the mass meeting a success and a
splendid success it was. To say that poll
tics is the motive which actuates the
press here is as unjust as 20 say the
same of The Boston Herald in
It's attitude toward reform, reform
IN the tariff, in the civil service in the ballot
In municipal administration, education. char
ity and elsewhere. Ii is a mean. cynical fling at
conscience in journalism to accuse the Provi-
dence Journal and The Telegram of seeing
nothing but politics in the good government
movement going on here. Doubtless they will
trim their sails to catch the rising breeze, and
they have right to- AS TO the other papes.
1t is, and always has been, stuck in the mud,
and, breeze or no breeze. will never get out
Respectfully yours.
WILLIAM III. SPENCER.
Providence, n. l., May 6, 1895.
We take it that the most superficial
reader OF letter like that would prompt
ly conclude that the writer of it must be
an Insignificant and inconseauential
sort OF person. Aud we care to refer
to the matter at all only to assure such
that they would be perfectly safe in
jumping at this conclusion. SO far as
The NEWS is concerned, it cares TO
make no plea in its own behalf
when its pathway is cluttered
up Dy only so useless a
piece Of human furniture as the writer
Of these thoughtless words. OF course.
it is not true that THE News is "owned |
chiefly by one of the heavy stockholders
of the Union Railroad company, or by |
any other kind of a stockholder. or by |
my one interested in the road or any of
heir family or near or remote relatives.
And we don't believe anybody but the
writer of this peculiar letter ever "said"
10. THE NEWS is sailing along all right
without the aid of the breezes that blow
rom Mr.. SPENcER's mouth, and is,
accordingly, in a position to SYM
)athize with its esteemed contem-
'oraries that they should have received
he endorsement of SO much poverty of
Judgment.
We fear that few of our fellow citi-
ems, who have lately seen good many
'tters from the pen of Mr.. SPENCER,
eally know who it is that is posing as
ource Of 80 much authority on matters
I municipal interest, and who wrote the
hildish communication quoted above.
We have, to be sure, already explained
nat he is only Mr.. ANNA GARIIN SpEN-
Err, and that WILLIAM II. SPENCER is
IMPLY pen name, as it were. or ,
purse everybody knows Mrs. ANNA
fARLIN SPENCER. And, possibly, it is {
ne the public that it should s
informed little further s
to this party who is trying to claim {
much of the public's attention, for. Z
herwise. the unsuspecting might think I
amounted to something, or might 9
I'VE 80 thought had he not disclosed 5
mself so pathetically in the letter '
ioted above. I
Briefly then, Mr.. ANNA GARLIy SpES- 9
.R is nobody in particular, as intelli- {
mt readers Of the foregoing letter have d
'ubtless already guessed. Having no
pacity. talents or marketable parts of 8
y kind, Mr.. ANNA GARLIN SPENCER is n
ually out of a job, which explains why /
has so much time to write letters. 1t u
ust be explained, also, that tho matter b
time alone would probably not enable d
m TO write letters unless b
ere were also available TO him a
e talents and power of dction pos d
ssed by Mrs. ANNA GARLIN SPENCER: n
though we guess when Mr.. ANNA V
ARilN SPENCER wrote to the editor of 81
le Herald he went it alone. b
Mr.. ANNA GARLIN SPENCER has at {,
nes. to be sure, attracted attention. W
I only negatively. or rs n subject for Il