The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-06
BEWARE THE BOGEY MAN!

GEORGE JONAH WEST. Esq, is without
doubt the bogey man of the Common
Council.
Bogey men are frightful things. They
keep You awake nights, and divert You
from your business aud victuals OF day
times.
Mr.. WEST as a bogey man has ever
been something of success. He scared
the local Democracy half to death when
he decided to become a Republican back
in the BLAINE days, and he scared them
worse when be made up his mind to
go back and be Democrat. Now
adays, however, he is devoting himself
to soaring the Republicans, his nearest
object being the Common Council, of
which he is member, and the dis
tinguished representative OF the
unwashed Tenth, the fact that
Mr.. WEST changes his collar three times
"A week, not to mention his undershirt,
giving him an enviable prestige among
his constituents.
Mr.. WEST has so far succeeded
in keeping the Republican Com
mon Council unduly well-stirred
up. When he rises to his feet
and says "boo!" the Republican Coun-
Gil shows an extraordinary disposition to
wilt, and they don't get over the shock
for some days. When they do
they kick themselves, of course,
and resolve to brace up the
next time, and bravely face the
bogey man from the Tenth. And Mr..
WEST also gets a hearing outside the
Council Chamber. We violate no conf
dence in stating that Mr. WEST dictates
the political opinions of the Providence
Journal. Our esteemed pater, The
Journal, is often thoughtlessly charged
with having no political opinions, but
this is not really so-at least it
has not been so since Mr..
WEST assumed charge of the
willing ear Of The journals political
reporters. To these young and innocent
scribes the bogey man of the Tenth is an
Oracle of Delphi, high priest of politi-
cal wisdom, thing of all knowl-
edge, a sage from Sage
vile, transcendant authority on
whatever was, is, and is going to be.
a word from whose lips is gulped into
the auricular passage as the thirsty soul
would quaff the nectar of the gods.
These young and innocent scribes fairly
wallow in the drippings from the mouth
of the bogey man. Then they print it
in The Journal.
"Fe, fl, 70, fun,
Ismell the blood OF Councilman! {"
Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r
We confess we don't understand the
terror which the bogey man of
the Tenth, backed by The Journal,
seems able to inspire in the Re-
publican Common Council. There really
isn't anything about the bogey man to
be afeared of despite his terrible look.
He is is clever sort of a fellow, pretty
good natured and companionable and
although it sometimes seems as il he
could blast ten acre lot covered
with cactus and wither whole army of
Republicans of the face of the earth, he
really isn't so terrible as he looks and
like the awful Jaberwock OF
the blighting goo goo beast
would collapse into an impotent heap if
somebody would brace up to him. We
may refer to Jack the Giant Killer as
an example of how little gumption
may overcome terror-inspiring things,
while many of the Councilmen, from
their own successful experiences at call
ing a bluff, may well be appealed to
to take courage in the face Of the
seemingly - only seemingly awful
bogey man.
We hope the Republicans of the Com
mon Council will take brace and hold
on 10 it.