The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-23

cident and episode, the speech-making
and promise that were associated with
political event whereby we now have seat
ed In city hall bis reform honor the
Mayor, together with City Council in
which are conspicuous gentlemen who
have come to be known by the euphon-
ious, alliterative and markedly expressive
title OF Goo Coos, we will be able to re-
call that things are as they are, rather
than as they were and had been for half
a century, because the guileless citizens OF
the municipality of Providence were as
sured that We were 70 have reform-re-
form In methods of administration, re
form in certain wickediy conducted de-
partments of city government, reform in
expenditures, reform in everything on the
surface OF the earth ana in the waters
under the earth.
1t dill not signify that there was moth
ing to reform or that, II there was, that
the gentlemen who talked so glibly
through their head gear, could offer no
guarantee that they would make capable
and efficient public servants beyond any
that the town had employed for fly years,
or that the methods they would intro
duce would be any Improvement over
those that had kept the town a-going
fairly well for half a century. Reform
was pretty word and his refo m honor
the Mayor, to Judge from the newspaper
cuts OF him-his oil portrait not being then
in. existence--was an innocent appear
ing man, and so reform was grated on
city hall.
The promise and the program then, of
his reform honor the Mayor was (1) Re-
form; (2) business and (3) last, inconse-
quential and to be permitted to have no
possible influence in pubic affairs--votes.
We have from time to time noted how
reform has gradually surrendered TO busi-
ness, how the Goo-Goo members OF the
city government have learned that this
town cannot be run on nothing-a week
and-found; that streets must be kept
clean, school houses be heated, school
teachers salaries paid, Fourth OF July
duly observed and the machinery of
government kept oiled. So, reluctantly,
hesitatingly, the Goo-Goo Mem bers of the
city government have permitted appro-
priations to be made and have even gone
to the Assembly to borrow..a few hundred
thousand dollars with which to do busi-
ness.
But strong as has been the pressure OF
the demands OF business upon the preten-
sions of reform, II has remained for the
question of votes to stir his reform honor,
the Mayor, to finally abandon the last
vain sophistry of the prediction stump
speech and OF the after election message.
"The money expended for highway work
during the last i've years." quoth his re-
form honor, the Mayor, in his address on
taking Office, "has created some COM
ment among our taxpayers . and
there can be no doubt that the policy
which has been heretofore followed
should be abandoned. So his reform
honor, the Mayor, undertook the aban-
donment Of the policy aforesaid.
In this, however, he has failed dismalIy
and has now been compelled to abandon
his abandonment. Needless to remark
that his reform honor did not surrender
reform pretenses to business demands.
He would have withstood the demends
OF business until the highways were re-
solved into sloughs. But he could not
hold up against the pressure brought to
bear by the all-compelling factor. votes.
Accordingly, when a sizable proportion
Of the Mayors constituency began to
clsmor for public work, and to urge that
they voted for reform with the under
standing that reform meant so-much-a-
day for them, his honor capitulated the
reform citadel.
Needless to say the capitulation was
gracefully done. The Mayor abandoned
reform in splendid order. He called a
meeting of the highway committee In his
Office and he arranged to have present
also a number Of public spirited citizens
who, realizing the c'ty's needs, came to
pray that highway work and park work
be not abandoned. Then the Mayor as
sumed the attitude, II not the expression.
OF his oil portrait, and graciousIy con-
seted to let the business OF the town pro.
ceed as II had proceeded for years before
he took upon himself the duties OF office