The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-04
WILLIAM VAUGHAN. COUNCIL
MAN.

MAN.
We have teen "looaing up" WILLIAM
T.. VAUGHAN, Councilman from Ward
for cich, successive terms, chairman OF
the joint standing committee on finance,
member ex-oihcio OF the joint standing
committee on city debt, member OF the
;oint standing committees on ordinances,
on North Burial Ground, ch,irman of
,he joint spe cial committee on railroad
terminal facilities, member OF the joint
special committee on site fo- new State
ermory, member o! the sinking funds
commission, chairman OF the commission
ers OF North Burial Ground, oil OF tho
CITY Council or on behalf OF the city Of
Providence.
We have teen looking him up because
we had not tho advantage OF anything
moro than how-d'-do acquaintance, and
we wanted to find out what sort OF fell
low he Is because he has been about the
best abused man in town for two or three
years past. We had little confidence in the
sources OF tho abuse and less in its sim
cerity. But we desired TO know pos
itively, rather than negatively, what kind
OF a man WILLIAM p. VAUGHAN was and
is. It is our disposition not to accept as
gospel what Everybody says" about any
thing, especially human object-not
alone because there is abundant precedent
for the fe cling that what everybody says
may not be SO, but further because what
Everybody says" is often no. said by
Everybody" at all, but only by some
few persons who by reason OF loud shout
ing give superficial impression of every
bodyness.
Now we know all about WILLIAM p.
VAUGKAN-we are pretty sure OF that be.
cause, for the past week or so, we have
had our reporters looking him up-in,
vestigating him, SO to speak. And that
we should have boon at such pains has
not been alone on account of a curious
interest in Councilman VAUGHAN, hut
also because he represents, is at the head
and front of, a contingent of public offi.
cials who have been freely abused and as
sailed He represents O sort OF test case
by which to Judge OF how far good zeal
of abuse, OF charges Of incapacity, even
of corruption, that have been loosely
slung at so-called mass meetings and by
malicious newspapers at the heads OF
some OF our public servants. II seems
clear that II Councilman VAUGHAN is all
right the chances are his confreres are
not such bad lot, either. And while we
believe none OF there gentlemen needs de-
Tending with those that enjoy their per-
sonal acquaintance, We felt that the in
terests of larger public would be con-
served IL we could ind out something
about them that represented honest and
fair investigation rather than malicious
and partisan attack.
Well, the Investigations Of our report
ers have surprised US by reason OF the
unanimity OF opinion that they have Sc
cured relative to Councilman VAUGHAN.
They have interviewed nearly everybody
that they could think of that was worth
interviewing-everybody but Councilman
VAUGHAN, himself, that is-polltical foes
rather tina IN political friends, ana they
have failed to pump one single statement
rejecting in the remotest way on Council.
man vAUeHAN's character, probity, in
tegrity, ability, either in his private or
public life, or TO discover who 1t Is that
makes charges Of corruption or even OF
incspacity,::o to secure a clear statement
OF any such charges against any OF the
Councilmen whom interested promoters
From what we have learned about him,
we would back up Councilman VAUGHAN
for any position CT trust or desired efflcien-