The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-20

given Gne example of how to do 1t.
I'm the language Of our efiervescent non
partisan friencs, they have thrown down
the ring, smashed the machine, knocked
out those impersonal but truly wicked
things known as ward bosses.
Ws are not hearing so much about rings
aud machines and bosses in this cam
paign as we did year ago this time. A
year ago there vas lot of talk about
how the rings and the machines and the
bosses rgn the several wards, elthough
these were composed, az We were assured,
of only handful of men. How handful
of men could run affairs that every ono of
a good many men could take hand in If
they chose, without the consent OF the
majority of their felows, was something
that ordinary intelligence could not
grasp. But we were assured that the
handfuls did il.
We recall, for instance, what at the
time was denomipated as RpuDlican
revolt in Ward /, against tho rule of the
ring and the machine and the bosses Of
that ward. 1t was poi inted out at that
time how a handful Of men gathered in
caucus in that ward and nominated a
Council ticket without opposition. They
were accused OF running things and Re-
publican revolt was demanded against
their management. To the average citi-
zen OF calmness of mind and ordinary
observation, however, il appeared that
tnat handful of men were n OF such terri
BILE fellows as they were painted. They went
because nobody else went to the eau
Gus to prevest them from running things.
AS they were at the caucus to make nomi-
nations and as the fellows who afterward
kicked about what they did were not
at the caucus, the handful, perforce.
had to make some nominations aud they
made the kind they wanted. 1t is not
unreasonable TO suppose that they con-
sidered the interests OF the ward in
making them, but that is neither here
nor there.
In other words, the First Wards hand
full run things not despite the wishes of
their fellow Republicans, but because the
handful were permitted to run things
apparently with the consent and approval
OF their fellow Republicans cs indicated
by the fact that 80 many Of the latter did
not bother to attend the caucus. IL
their follow Republicans had not been
willing to lot the handful run things
they could h1va easily prevented 1t by
riaply offending the caucus and out
votiEs the hendfuL
Eow easily tina: may always be done is
illustrated by The action OF the Fourth
Ward Republicans. The ward comm ittee,
as is its custom end duty, prepared a
council ticket to submit to the approval
OF their fellow Republicans. But II ap-
pears that there was considerable opposi-
tion cnong Republicans outside the ward
committee to two OF the citizens thus
slated for the Council. Now, under
these circumstances, the opposition might
have stayed sway from the caucus and
left the ward committee and its sup
porters to run things and then the OPP
position might have sent up cry to
high heaven that the ward bosses, the
ring, the machine had usurped the
rights OF the taxpayers, trodden upon
them and ignored the demands of what
our non-partisan friends liko to refer to
az the "better element" by contrast to
ring and bosses and machine.
But the better element of Ward did
not 90 to work that way. Ward Republi-
cans never 40 thing in weakly fash
ion. The opponents to the city commit
tees slate turned out to the caucus. They
packed the caucus good ana strong. They
proposed to find out who's running the
ward. They proposed to find out who's
q ring and who's q boss. They found out.
They put up couple OF capable citizens
against the capable citizens OF the ward
committee slate and their capable citi-
zens simply buried the ward commit
tees capable citizens because the
friends Of the former outnum oered the
"handiul who run the ward"-to again
make a non partisan quotation.
How easy 1t wasl Why, "smashing a
ring'' is the easiest thing In the world to
do. The way to smash is to smash. That's
ss clear as sunshine. There never yet was a
boss or ring or machine that run