The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-19

Within a few hours after the meeting
Mr.. Williams presented to a public. palpi-
tating with expectancy, the following
committee of five, the names OF whom II
is understood came TO him in a dream; '
Henry G. Clark.
asa Lyman; -S2-xsn@E
A. &. Barstow.
John Bashford.
Mr.. Williams, dream. however, did not
really prove true. Mr.. Harson declined to
serve on the committee as promptly as
possible after being notified. Mr.. Bash
ford had no use for the committee and
indeed regarded il so contemptuously
had he has never bothered to either ac-
knowledge his appointment or resign.
Mr.. Il. ID. Bassett was appointed IN MIR.
Harson's place, a NEWS reporter being
the medium by which the appointee re-
ceived the joyous intelligence OF the hon
or conferred upon him. Mr.. Bassett told
The NEWS reporter that In view of the
hearty and unanimous request OF Mr.. Will
liams he should not hesitate TO put his
shoulder to the wheel OF reform and
shove.
Many weary days passed before any
thing more was heard of the so called
Committee OF Five, really a committee OF
four. They met, or some of them did, in
divers secret places, and gave audience to
their thoughts. The columns of The
Journal kept up a valiant sparring for
wind i'm the absence Of news from this
high and mighty committee. Reporters
Of other papers sought in vain for their
place of concealment and confab. Demo-
cratic politicians beat the bush to start
them from cover. The Rhode Island Cit
izens' League, with an expression of long
ing and pain upon his countepance, and a
list Of suggestions for apo ents to the
pocket. roamed like a disquiet spirit in
vain search for Henry &. Clark, Il. ID.
Bassett, Asa Lyman and A. {. Barstow
individually or collectively. The rest Of
the community pursued their usual voca-
tions without concerning themselves with
this absurd quartet.
One day, however, il happened.
The Journal, with a flourish OF trum-
pets and a flare OF b~azoos, that could be
heard from the Union Oil WoJks to the
back yard fence OF Socialist Fielders' re-
sidence. announced that the committee
was born, and the work OF regeneration
and reformation was about to begin.
AS q disinterestcd exponent OF public
opinion, as Ii exists in this community,
we announced at the ACCOMPLISHMENT that
we should take occasion to inquire care
fully into the membership of this Comit-
tee OF Fifty with a view to furnishing in
formation that should enable the pu bile
to Judge for itself the kind and character
of citizenship comprised in 1t, the rea-
sons that had contributed TO securing its
membership and in general how far this
Committee OF Fifty was entitled to respect
on~dspnnHdanna ms fha nrnaneCtiya diroo-
torate and guiding influence In the affairs
OF the corporation OF this municipality.
We stated, however, that before announc-
ing the result Of our researches we should
wait until the mem bership of the social
led Committee OF Fifty was recruited up
to the actual number Of fifty, (the list
announced comprising only 46. But mas
much as the Committee never reached
80, and as IL has been dwindling rapidly
snice he hour OF its birth, we are impel-
led TO the conclusion that the Committee
OF Fifty will never comprise 80, and ac-
cordingly we deem IL ekpedient to deal
with the thing as Ii actually exists rather
than as a Pigment OF the imagination.
Despite the fact that our researches
have been handicapped by the i%nconspic-
uousness OF many OF the members of the
so-called Committee of Fifty we think we
have discovered them all, and herewith
have pleasure in presenting them with
their credentials for the am usement OF the
public which The Journal has sought to
bamboozle IN their name.
A final consideration of the forty-six
citizens named In the so-called Committee
of Fifty results in a summing up as fol-
lows:
Citizens who have resigned or declined
TO serve OF have not or will not act with
the committee, go per cent. IL appears
that the appointments were mailed 10 the
forty-six from the headquarters oil the
Committee OF Five, wherever shat may be,
on a Wednesday. No responscV or decli-
nations, with one or two exceptions, be-
ing received by Friday evening, tSS en-
tire list was announced as bona ide
committee in The Journal on the follow
ing morning. At the. first meeting OF the
Committee, held OH that same Friday
evening, only t~wenty-four OF the APP
pointees reported for duty. At n subse-
quent meeting but rs showed up. Mean
while many OF the citizens whose names
had appeared I'm print we're loud In their
protests at the assumption OF The Journal.
Many Of the notices received had been
thrown In the waste basket and TO most
-sI- - ...t~.a aAastAR L0A 49,,