The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-21
FACTS AND FLAPDooDLE.

tue DcmOcratlc pClllcal orghulzhtlon lOr
Mayor, do so upon the basis of what may
be termed the elittering eeneralities OF
honesty, ability and non .partisanship.
but Mayor McGUrNNEss was not elected,
one year ago, on issues so general ana Of
meaning, or meaningless, according as
the facts available may sustain or quash
them. Mayor McGUINNEss was last year
elected because OF certain well defined
and in every way specific charges and
promises. lie VAS chosen Mayor OF this
city by a msjority OF his fellow-citizens,
irrespective OF politics, maybe, because
he and his fellows alleged that, as ad-
ministered by Republican Mayor end
Republican Council, certain evils existed,
to wit:
/. The management OF municipal affairs
was extTavagGnt; money was borrowed;
bonds were issued; :axes were too high.
2. The board OF license commissioners
was corrupt aud mslefcent.
3. The city sealer's office was corrupt
and malefcent.
4. Incompetercy and exirayayance
through city hall, with especial reference
to the Office OF the Mayor and the police
department., coupled with charges OF cor-
ruption against members OF the Council,
The pledges made, which also ,ntrib-
uted to secure votes for Candidate Nc
GUINNESS and the Democratic Council
nominees, were two, chiefly, 10 wit:
]. To reduce expenses, borrow no
money, pay-as-you-go, lower the tax rate.
2. Secure free transfers for the people.
These charges and pleoges were exrlic-
lily MADE. Candidate McGUINNEss and
various CounciImea were eec ted &c Office
because enough voters believed the
charges true and enough voterI accepted
the promises in good faith to swell the
normal Democratic vote to plurality for
the candidates VINO made the charges and
the pledges.
Now the record OF the administration
by Mayor McGUINsEss ia a matter OF pub.
lie knowledgs. Pariis,ps or non-parti-
sars uay prste about his ability and his
-partislnshir all they choose. ABILITY
ana par,isanship may be supreme in
his composition. We don't know. We
don't understaGd bow anvtoiy can know.
krows, and what every Dooy can seo that
is not purposely lind. is that every charge
made py Candidate MC3UrNNEss ha1 been
disprovod under tho most rigorous and
ex-psrte investigation and 70: single
promise made by Candidate Mo1 UINYEss
has heen kept. That's fact os plain ss
the multiplication iallc.
Eytry denartmcnt that hos bean in.
vosligated ny tee administration to
justify It's hot.ing oflieo has resulted in q
clean bill OF health for the departments.
And ~ tho municipal affairs hava been
run extravagantiy in tho past, they havs
been run quito as extravaganlly by the
present administration, while, owing TO
the filling and bacsing, TO the dou bt and
hesitancy aud suspicion and lack OF
Ia rst,
there has been an actual loss OF time ana
money in city work. TIE present ad-
ninistration has aiken advantage OF the
autbo rity OF pr.vicus administrations to
borrow money for occurring which
authority those adninisirs tions were COO
dcmned by candidate Nc iUINNNEss
and in addition the present administrn-
tion has applied to and secured permis-
sion from the General Assembly to bor-
row y535, COO. And una BILE with oil this TO
run the city on a paying basis, the Nc
GUINNESS administration has raised the
tax rate.
We repeat, We do not care TO make con-
tention against the MCGUINNEss en-
dorsements OF ability or anything else.
We do contend, though. that the burden
OF proof rests with the endorsers. Tho
plain facts are that Mayor McGUINNEss
was originally chosen Mayor after several
previous trials because he declared that
certain things existed that were opposed
TO good government. Those things are
proved to have been not so. He was
elected because ne promised to do certain
things, and. as matter OF fact, he has
done none Of them. In a word, Mayor
McGUINNEss Is today holding an Office
which he secured upon fslso pretenc,s.
1t would te most becoming in him to
publicly acknowledge that he deceived