The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-10


government, and they doubtless esteem
themselves as representing public senti-
ment. We have no doubt that they
have awakened certain response among
people whose dispositions are
such that they like to consider
that they are being misused, and
we may also believe that certain other
good people, who honestly may feel that
the public is not being so well served as
1t ought to be, are enjoying the echo TO
their sentiments none the less because
the echo is more thunderous than the
sentiment that has awakened il. But
we are sure, also, that the sober second
thought OF our friends, who are thus
being stirred up, will prevail to reduce
to a minimum the harm possible
to the real public interests from
all the noise, and before our contempor-
aries are thr ough with their amazing
chatter most of us will be heartily sick
Of il.
Just what the trouble is all about or
at just what 1t aims II is difficult TO
make out. We have no doubt the
managers of the railroad and the mem
bers OF the city government are some
what confused by the noise. and are
earnestly trying TO interpret its mean
ing. Ii an explicit bill of complaint could
be made out it might be answered, but
so far the outburst is an unintelligible
babel, comprehe nding everything from
transfer tickets and discount rates
to abolishing the franchise and
throwing the streets open once
again to an endless competition be-
tween the company that has its rails
down and any other body of men that
wants to set mp q car line, or wants to
make pretense OF Ii. The mania with
our contemporaries is to throw bricks,
and what they are being thrown for is
unimportant. One OF our contempor-
aries is engaged in study of real estate
valuations at Roger Williams Park, and |
the other is chasing the franchise.
Meanwhile the city council commit tee
which has been appointed to make a
to the railroad, looking to
increased facilities is considering
the framing Of such PROPOSE
ton and the railroad folk
are awaiting the convenience Of
The committee to talk things over. Nat
orally, neither OF these parties is going
out into the highways to tell what they
will do, or what they won't do, because
up to the present time each has yet TO
earn what the other proposes. 1t is
'idiculous to pretend to believe that any
teps will be taken without the pub
ic being fully informed In the
matter and having ample oppor-
unity to be heard, because neither
he Council, the Assembly, nor the
Union Railroad people, as servants of
he public. have ever taken step that
he public has not known about in ad-
ance and had an opportunity to ex-
ress itself on. Any other course would
% folly, and we don't believe there is
ny disposition to indulge I'M any other
curse, although to read some of the
nbbish that has been printed and to hear,
'me Of the stuff that has been talked, ,
70 might be foolishly led to believe that :
ie transactions between the trolley :
'mpany and the city, have been pro- O
'eded with after a star chamber FASH d
n, and that dark deeds are now being y
t up In the same stealthy way. Z
We have been edited by the attempt Z
one OF our contemporaries to make |,
lpital out of interviews with Alder
an DARCY and Councilman BARNEY r.
the committee now considering fur n
er negotiations with the trolley o.
mpany. Alderman DARCY, if he is p,
loted correctly, is fat-footed in his NJ
termination to make no more contracts o.
Ith the trolley company, which indi- 81
tes that he is too ''sot in his ways" to Il
valuable public official, since he I
rms his opinions before hearing the &C
se. Mr.. BARNEY, however, is n,
different kind of q fellow. He NJ
esn't form "A Judgment until he III
ows what he is called upon to Judge. st
doesn't believe In going off at half m
ck. Mr.. BARNEY told the representa-. G,
o of our contemporary, who tried to III
arl him up with one-sided questions, m
1t he believed in transfer tickets. for on
tance, but he didn't see how the city an
nd expect the trolley company to give pa
nething and get nothing in return. m,
:. BARNEY took occasion also to make m,
ne very sensible observations, which as
her staggered our contemporary. but IN
ich 1t was fair enough to print, as fol- IL
VS.:
Ir Barney held that people were getting pal
rmed when there was little actual ground | the
such dis,rustfulness The act proposed al,
not so framed that by its mere passage IL
I'D bind the city TO the Union Railroad ior
npany Tor new period. IL simply re- an(
iIat 4. a