The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-10


these members their local newspapers
furnished information on the matter
that they could have acquired SO con-
vincingly from no other source.
The position of the other city papers,
however, made even the friends OF rev
peal doubt the efficacy of fight waged
by this newspaper alone. But as we
were, from time 10 time, able TO demon
strate the immensity of the public senti-
ment behind our position these doubts
were gradually dispelled and with new
confidence steps were taken to presently
the Assembly in imposing form the op-
position of the people against the law.
This movement reached lis highest point
when the clergymen in nearly every
p p,storate in the State, by concerted ac-
lion, undertook to present the question
to their focks and to get signatures to
petitions for the repeal of the law.
Meanwhile The NEWS appealed to the
General Assembly to endeavor to learn
in advance the sentiment of that body
on the matter At the time this enter
prise was begun the horse gambling
promoters were not through with having
their little joke at what they considered,
with mistaken confidence, the impotent
zeal Of The NEWS in its effort TO crush
them. Their ideas on the matter
were expressed i'll the other city
were impressed by the humor of the
position taken by THE NEWS, while the
attempt to secure pledges from the
Assemblymen was joke of particular
hugeness especially a, the weeks went
by with no disclosures on the part OF
THE News of the result of its funny bit
of enterprise. And there was much
hilarity all around.
But all these pleasant gentlemen have
already, thus many days before the AS
sembly meets. seen light. Immediately
after the Christmas festivities the
ministers began to preach from their
pulpits and to circulate petitions against
the gambling law-and we began to
publish the opinions of the Assembly,
men on the matter, with every
indication that the Assemblymen
had not been at all backward against
expressing themselves and that we had
accordingly plenty of opinions TO
publish. Then the little joke stopped
on its rounds. The other city newspa-
pers turned back somersault and
allowed that the gambling law was
likely to be repealed. Preparations for
running races in 1895 came to a stand
still. The friends of repeal were COM
placently told that they needn't fuss any
more because the Assembly was of a
mind to "repeal the law without even a
reference to a committee!
We confess that we like to be in the
van of the victors in good fight. We
like to do little laughing ourselves. 1t
tends to make us feel fat and healthy.
Things are very different today
from the day when The News
published that page of informa-
tion about horse gambling only
three short months ago. Black has be-
come white, the leopard has changed its
spots, the impossible is become possible,
a gigantic task is developed into soft
snap. the uphill fight is now tobogga n
slide, and public sentiment, not liking
1t, is no longer required to lump it'll
Did The News do this? Did the
newspapers of the State which opposed
the gambling at the start do this? BY
no means. And yet without them it
might not have been done probably
would not have been done so quickly,
so effectually. We observe this in no
spirit of newspaper boastfulness. None
better than the leaders Of public senti-
ment, the ministers, the legislators, the
statesmen, the men and women who are
ever alive to give voice to the sentiments
OF the people, appreciate the difficulties
Of massing public opinion for real
action, of concentrating it into an
efficient force. This is busy
world and each individual has trouble
enough of his own. 1t is not easy to
get him to stand shoulder to shoulder
with his neighbor for a common pur-
pose. And it is here that the newspaper
becomes invaluable, and this is one of
its missions-to furnish medium for
the rapid and universal dissemination of
views on great question and for the
concentration Of those views on the
point of attack. So in the case of the
horse gamblers. The newspapers
felt confident as to the stand
public sentiment would take IL 1t
realized the situation. The newspapers
pointed out the situation-and then they
demonstrated to every opponent of horse
gambling that he was not alone in his
opinion, but that all over the State that
same opinion was held. And lastly the
newspapers afforded means for con-
certed expression of that prevailing