The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-06

III suplItSeinB AhNA behNh' NS"~SA'
planned for last Sunday evening, especial
~ in the light OF IA later incident that
has come to their knowledge and to ours.
We stated the other day that this action
OF the new Chief looked a good deal like
a "grand stand play" A worthy organi-
zation was made 10 suffer that the { hiei
might air before the public his preten-
sions a. a protector OF proper Sunday
observance In this town and a defendant
of the Christianity and the morals OF the
people. The Bards, a benefcent organi-
cation, had planned to give a concert for
their benefit fund on the only evening
when the greater part OF them are relieved
from professional duties and can get to-
gether. The cards were organized some
eleven years ago and for feven or eight
years they have given this annual concert
to swell the funds in their treasury that
are devoted to aid the widow and orphan
and to succor the brother in distress and
sickness. In all this time there has never
heen a complaint against this entertain.
ment, whatever objection may have been
raised to the ''song and dance' shows
that have occasionally masqueraded I'M
der the name OF a sacred" concert. AS
m raotfar ~ faot ata, Il, ,to ,.fI1ar aopaot
this sort OF a show has never been fire.
quently given in this town partly because
police supervision has always been as
strict, IL not as bumptious, as that
established by Chief BAKER, and
partly pecause our people have not been
disposed to ~ratronize entertainments OF
this character, and so there has been no
strong inducement to outside managers
to bring them here. The Bards, however,
a worthy local organization, have until
this year been permitted to give their
concert and it hes ever been of a kind
that is beyond reproach.
The new Chief of Police, as we are
informed, fatty refused to put confidence
enough in the Bards to permit the con-
cert already announced for last Sunday
evening. He declined to believe in the
integrity or honesty Of the organization
in its claims and promises as to the char
acter Of the program planned. He refused
to take into consideration the record OF
the concerts given under their auspices
conducted by musicians well-known to our
fellow-citizens with no public affront for
the past seven or eight years. But he did
without any undue cross examination
agree to allow another organization of a
purely sociuf character to give a concert
on the presentation of their program for
approval, a privilege that the o~rganiza-
tion referred to finally voted not to ac-
cept, a spirit of fairness, in light of the
evident discrimination, prompting this
action.
We take 1t that this sacred concert re-
form instituted with such a flourish OF
trumpets by our new Chief will result in
little besides convincing the public that
the Chief is likely to prove to be simply
a self-opiniated meddler rather than a
reliable conservator OF the morals and
virtues OF this town. As a matter OF fact,
the sacred concert hypocrisy, though an
evil, has never been a serious menace to
the orderly observance of the Sabbath in
this town, whatever 1t may have been else
where. We know, OF course, that the
tendency is to develop the Sunday evening
entertainment beyond the bounds which
people would feel disposed to tolerate, but
according to the new Chief there are far
more wicked doings going on in this town
than any Sunday evening concert.
For instance, we could tell the Chief,
IL we chose, where there Is at least one
great big gambling establishment running
in the down town section of the city
right under his nose that could only run
with his consent. We have no doubt,
however, that he knows all about il and
SO passively consents to It's running.
Don't air any more OF your virtues,
Mr.. Chief, at the expense OF some victim
like the Wandering Bards. II you do a
great and fair-minded public will be dis
posed to believe you are making a noise
only to conceal your inability to cope
with the real evils you have limited SO
freely about.
THE debate In the Senate Yesterday on