The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-29
4HE sTAY-AT-k1oaEs.


tency OF an official lead pencil, author
ICED by law and guided by the hand OF
free American citizen in the marking OF
an X on big sheet OF paper, an act the
which. by reason OF long habit, we yet
refer to as the "casting" OF q vote, there
is another element in elections, or rather
that is really not in II, that always i'm
presses us even more profoundly and fills
us with delightful speculation. That is,
OF course, the stay-at- home vote.
The stay-st-home vote is usually an inn
posing factor in every election. 1t was
particularly grand on Tuesday last, when
so many OF our fellow citizens who did
not stay at home failed to do as we ex'
pected them TO d with their official lead
pencils. Over Ave thousand citizens of
Providencs, qualified electors, possessed OF
the right TO express an opinion as to
which OF the heMiloering list OF candidates
for Office would best serve them and their
fellow-citizens in the conduct OF
the affairs OF this city, failed to exer-
else their privilege, neglected to per-
form their duty-or esteemed 1t the
performance OF duty to keep away from
the voting booths. For these over FIVE
thousand Of our feliow.c citizens the lead
pencil, whose potency their wills might
have swsk sned, had no attractiveness on
Tuesday last.
What charm OF speculation lies in con-
temptation of this army Of stsy-at-homes,
these silent five thousand, nearly one
quarter OF the electorate of the city OF
Providence. Why did they stay At home?
Did not they not know that Tuesday was
q great day, and that lots of things were
doing? Did they not know that the
balance of their townspsople were hav-
ing high old time with the lead pen
ellis? Did they not recognize that no
such opportunity for waxing enthusias-
tic over something and for indulgence
in tingliug excitement has been
afforded since the circus was here-at all
events not since Alderman-ele FULLER
marshaled that non-partisan Fourth OF
July parade and thus made himself solid
at stroke with the mass of the people?
Don't they read the newspapers, these
FIVE thousand? II cannot be that they
were all lame, halt, blind or bedridden
or that they all were lacking in umbrellas
and goloshs&
How may we explain 1t that they were
stsy-at-homes and not voters when so fine
q chance was afforded to mako an impress
sion on public affairs, beside which the
impression OF the small boys thumb in
the pumpkin pie would be inconspicuous.
Who were they, these FIVE thousand, that
stayed at home? 1t Is an interesting sub
jsct for inquiry and we make the inquiry
though we do not hope for answer. We
know. though, that latent in these Ave
thousand was moro of effective power than
existed in .rhe army Of nearly 5000 that
voted for Mr.. MoGuINNEss, or in the de-
voted old guard over 1000 strong that
stood by Mayor OLNEy. II any consider
able part of them were Goo-Goos, just
imagine the lead that would have been
used up in marking KS for the Demo
cratic ticket! What a tremendous tri-
umph they could have made for Mr.. Nc.
GUINNESS. II, on the other hand, any
considerable part OF them are Republi-
cans, blue black, stalwart Republicans,
how they could have overwhelmed Nc
GUINNESS and given an endorsement to
the present administration that would
have confounded and utterly routed its
enemiesl why, they could have almost
elected Mr.. HENRY c. CLARK. Not quite,
Of course, never, not quite.
We take of our hats to the stay-at-
homes They are beings OF mystery