The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-05


norlper ex-ofhcio OF the joint standing
committee on city debt, mem Ter OF the
JOINT standing committees on ordinances,
on North Burial Ground, chairman OF
.ne loint spe cisl committee on railroad
terminal facilities, member OF the joint
special committee ON site for new State
ermory, member OF the sinking funds
commission, chairman OF the comm ission-
ers OF North Burial Ground, all Of tho
S,O Council or on behalf Of the city Of
Providence.
We have teen looking him up because
we had not the advantage of anything
more than a how-d'-do acquaintance, and
We wanted to hnd out what sort of fell
iow nc Is because he HIS been about the
oest abused man In town for two or three
years past. We had little confidence in The
sources OF the abuse and less IN it's sim
cerity. But we desired to know pos
itiveiy, rrlner than negatively, what kind
OF mr. WILLIAM p. VAUGHAN was and
Is. * Is our disposition not to accept az
gospel what Everybody says" about any
thing, especially human object not
alone because there 10 abundant precedent
Tor the fe cling that what everybody says
may not be SO, but further because what
everybody says is often not said by
everybody" at ALL but only by some
few persons who by reason of loud shout
ing give superficial impression of'every-
bSdyness.
NoW We KNOW ail ABOUT WILLIAM Il.
NAuGHAN-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 eeen at such pains has
not been alone on account OF curious
interest in Councilman VAUGHAN, but
also because he repre- sents, Is at the head
and fiont of, contingent OF public Off
cials who have been freely abused and as
sailed. lie represents sort OF test case
by which 10 judge OF how far good otal
OF abuse, OF charges OF iDcapacity, even
OF corruption. that have been loosely
siung al so-called mass meetings and by
maiic ,ous newspapers at the heads of some
OF our pubic servants /, 'rue Ii seems
clear that IL Councilman VAUGHAN Is all
right the chances are his contrtres are
not such tai lo., either. And while we
believe none OF these 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 find out something
about them that repress nted honest ani
fair investigation rather than malicious
and partisan attack.
Well, the investigations o. our report
ers have surprised US by reason OF the
unsnimIty OF opinion that they have Sc
cured relative TO Councilman VAUGHAN.
They have interviewed nearly every ly
that they could think of tnat was Iorth
interviewing everybody but Councilman
VAUGHAN, himself, that is-poi!tIcsl fees
rather than political friends, ana they
have failed 10 pump one single statement
eiiecting in the remotest way on Council
man VAUoHAN's character, propity, In
tegrity, sbiiity, either in his private or
public life, or TO discover who IL is that
r.iakes charges OF corruption or even CT
incapa ity, or 10 secure clear statement
OF eny such charges agains, any OF The
ls.sxW, s..s
OF now defunct political scheme have
made 0uch buster about never, how
ever, affording the putIic the s.igh est
glimpse OF the grounds fer tic malicious
allegations.
II Is not unnatural, perhaps, that Coun-
Gilman VAUGHAN, ho!ding, as lie has aud
does, positions of extraordinary trust and
responsibility in the city government.
should have made enemies. But that he
has been faithful, honest and efficient
In the discharge OF bis duties Is demon
strated BY the record thereof, and our
reporters have been unable 10 hnd any
body that cares to face that record with
allegations rejecting on Councilman
VAUGHAN. He Is reputable mar, nan
of recognized business ability, man
who, IN at ieast one private and personal
business matter, IL rursuiny course that
commends him TO every hones man who
has knowledge Of 1t, a thoroughly ira ned
no one dares whisper a word, with eight
years OF public service as open as book,
a man who has the confidence of every
one who has dealings with him ard who
as well deserves mors Of favor and es-
teen from his felow-citizens than most
am one we can jus. row cal to ulino.
va should say thst in the matter of Sc
curing terminal facilities alone. which
the tact, business sagaci,y and municipal
loyalty on the part of Councilman
VAUGHAN's COMMITTEES b-ougs; TO q
happy result, after quarter OF century
OF iii-starred negotiations, by al oods
the most important municipal transaC-
tion since tho city set up lis wator works,
Mr.. VAUGnAN's 3 services are an enduring
monument.
From what we have learned abort him.
We would bsck up Councilman VAroHAI
for any position CT trust or desired etficien-
cy that his feliow-citizens might choose
to honor him with. We sdmire his agres-
sive methods, too, and We admire him for
the restraint he has shown unoer tho fire
OF abuse and villificst!on with which he
has been assaiied. Wenow know that n
refraining from retorting IN kind or even
In defending himself as hotly as would
be warranted. he has relied uDon the con-
seriousness OF an enyiable position in the
esteem OF those OF his fellow-citizens
whose esteem is worth something.
|. We beg to make one quotation from ar
opinion on Councilman VAUGHAN. Ii Is
the expression OF q Democrat, a man
who, by reason OF his public Office. has
been more intimately associated with the
chairman Of the finance committee in
his public transactions than anyone else
can have been who ought 20 know and W no
does know what he Is talking about
and who ought not TO be, and Is moi,
afraid to say what he thinks. Mr. ID. l..
ID. GRANGER, the city treasurer OF Provi-
dence, was elected TO that Office in 1890
That same year Councilman VAUGHAN
succeeded Mr.. ARTHUR II. WATSON as
chairman of the committee on finance and
Mr.. VAUGHAN and Mr.. GRANGER have
been closely associated in the work OF
handling the money OF the municipal cor
poration ever since-for five years most
intimate. Mr.. GRANGER said OF Mr.
VAUGHAN the other day-we quote him
exactly and by his permission: "Mr.
VAUGHAN il at ell times attentive to bu-
siness and has rebarkable grasp OF the
details Of the public business and has lis
played an u7usual ability in handling
all financi questions which have been
brought up. SO far as have seen he has
been an industrious. painstaking and