The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-22
TO MR. JOIN W. VERNON.

spicuously as possible your suggestive
communication OF November 21.
With no desire 10 secure TO ourselves
the "iast word" that il proverbislly c
much dreaded ''power OF the press"
but reading in your communication a
cordial willingness to have us answer
| back, we beg TO make reply TO some OF
the observations you present to us and
to our readers.
We wish TO state, in the first place, that
the term on-partisanship as more fire.
quently used 10 q delusion. 1t is mis-
leading. P~artisanship exists wherever
there is human controversy. 1t is
poor problem for humanity's daily solu-
ton that does not present at least two
good sides for argument. In the case OF
the Consolidated road, which you cite, We
believe there is unanimity of opinion as
to its directorate; but some day ii is not
unlikely that there VIII, be a division
into q "CLARK" party and an "anti-
CLARK party. II that ever happens you
will not enquire, to be sure, as to who
are Republicans or who are Democrats on
the rival tickets for the directorate but
you will seek eagerly to discover who are
"CLARK'' men ano who are JONES
men, let Us say, and we venture to te-
lieve that You will have small use for the
chaps that are neither one thing nor the
other-the mugwumps among the stock
holdersl
1t is not unnatural, it seems to us,
that in contesting divisions OF the voters
in the city the political names in use in
National politics should have been as
sumed. The names ''Rerublican" and
democrat" In municipal affairs do not
always mean the same thing--that they do
in National affairs, but it has generally so
happened, we believe, that generally the
same kind Of men.who hold the views
which, in u opinion, as Republicans.
have been the wisest for the administra-
ton of the National government, hold
also, what we b,lieve, are the better
vie VS. for the administration OF a mu-
nicipal corporation. And after all, while
u city government is that OF q business
corporation, existing under a charter, the
successful conduct of its affairs is de-
pendant on much the same edministra-
tive ability, wisdom and integrity that
are necessary to the running Of the social
led political machinery OF the National
government. Tho Same human factors are
demanded for the prosperous administra.
tion OF the Consolidated road, the mu-
corporation, the State sovereign:
ity, the National government and the
Bank, though the respective
of operation may differ. Bust
ness ability and integrity are required in
all of them. Witness the disaster brought
upon government and people by incap-
able administration OF National affairs
the past two years and then claim,
II You can, thet any elements enter into
ne selection OF so.called ''political" rep
resentatives different from what are re-
quirei in the choice OF a aboard Of direc-
toTs' for railroad, q bank, or a munich
pal corporal ion.
Wo think you viii concedc that "psr~
ties, "even party organizations. are inevita-
BILE II not absolutely necessary where any
considerable number OF persons have any
important subject under discussion.
And while We know OF men who are Rs-
pu blicans or Democrats in ~"local" affairs,
the contrary in national affairs. as
rule the same men rally around
heir respective standards in all political
municipal or national. This
$ because, as we have intimated, the
for divergence OF opinion seem
o command a division into parties com.