The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-29
THE ExHIBTTIoN THE MAYOR
MADE.

particularly childish spectacle OF himself,
subjected the police department to ridi-
cule belittled the authority vested in the
corporation OF tho municipality over
which he presides. and, altogether. pre-.
sented an amusing, though dishearten-
ing, sample OF pomposity that with n
person of a level head and anything like a
good digestion, could never have been
possible.
A hundred or more trolley cars were
stalled at Dorrance street awaiting the
Of the attenusted procession ad-
vertising the circus IN town-a very yir-
tuous circus and an admirable procession
De 1t noted in passing. All over the city
trolley cars were hung up on the switches
awaiting the clearing of the blockade
down town. Several thousand citizens OF
Providence and adjoining communities
sat in tho cars and chcwed the cud of re-
aection the while tho circus procession
was I'm transit. Doubtless several hundred
of them cussed the trolley corporation as
dough headed as we'll as a soulloss thing
for not getting a move on with its stalled
cars. An intelligent and experienced en-
ploye Of the road, who had directed tho
movement Of cars in many emergencies,
stood at Dorrance street and watched his
opportunity to slide tho cars through one
at time, as speedily as might be, taking
advantage of breaks in tho long circus
line, all that the thousands OF patrons
might not be invonvenienced longer than
was absolutely necessary. The circus was
not likely TO be a sufferer from his tactics
patrons of the road would have been par
tIculary glad to get through. Under
orders from the Mayor several policemen
undertook TO stop one of the cars that was
being thus pushed ahead in the circus line
and later the employe who put the car
through was placed under arrest. by this
act, as was subsequently learned, the Mayor
Of Providence was giving an exhibition OF
his authority and judgment. And prec-
ious exhibition IL was, too
Very likely the Mayor had authority TO
order the policemen to stop the car and,
later, to make the arrest As would
appear. the action of the trolley employe
undoT tho circumstances was not discreet.
When a procession is licensed, we do not
know whether or not the public must be
inoOnvenienued by having its transit
facilities cut off, but we should say that
an order of tho Mayor is law until IL is
demonstrated not TO be by reference to a
final tribunal. Even so, the authority as
IL was exercised by the Mayor will strike
most citizens as only an example OF
caprciousness not to say pig headedness.
The Mayor Is represented by our veracious
reporters ms dying around City Hall like
the proverbial chiokenwith-its-he of
when informed that trolley employe had
dared to ride over tho majesty of the city
of Providence Citizens who have long
since obtained measure OF the bonn bastic
politician, who, by grace OF the delusion
of majority of his follow-oitlzens figures
as the chief executive of this town may
easily picture tho spectacle he afforded.
All this was vory absurd. What fol-
lowed, however, was an outrage Tho
prisoner was treated as ANONYMOUSLY as
possible. He was taken in the "hurry-
up" wagon, his clothing was searched
and no was lodged In "a coll. Most of this
was nothing but sheer bun
combe, done to make a show by the
Mayor as permitting no distinction be-
tween high and low degree in arrosting a
A respectable citizen with only
q technical charge against him, he was
treated like a foon. common drunkard
or desperate safe cracker. Evidently
Justice would have been satisfied and the
law have lost nothing of the public respect
that is its due, IL a little more considera.
tion. not to say deoency, had been exer-
cised. But the Mayor was mad, clean
and as be hasn't set Off many
fireworks during his present administra-
tion, he took this fine occasion TO display
himself He surely did II.
10 was the autocrat Of Third ward
caucus who welded the authority of the
chief executive of great municipal COR
yesterday forenoon.
News reader who evidently also reads
our interesting contemporary, the Jour
nal of ,norninug l,ecausa no tben bas NO