The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-10
In Former Years There Was No
Trouble at All in Making !,
Up the Slate.
GREAT CHANGE HAS TAKENPLACE
A Number Of the Members Of the Present
City Council Are Determined to Act For
ThemseIves-Local Items.

The managers OF the u. ~. r., or tnose
who take upon themselves the distribu-
tion of the city favors, are in sore straits
at present. In former years there was no
trouble In this respect, a few of the leaders
assembled in caucus, appointed themselves
a committee of the whole and parceled out
the appointments. A requisite for the
bosses favors was the question of the can
didate's pull in his ward. IL he had been
an obedient worker for the party, not over
particular about the manner In which he
carried out the orders of the grand moguls,
he was considered worthy of receiving the
Endorsement of the caucus.
The mans standing in the community
was not questioned, nor was his ability
to successfully perform the duties OF the
office brought into question. Those little
matters were of secondary Importance,
the interests of the city were cast aside,
party, the solid intrenchment of the party
In power, was the golden rule OF this
cJLerie of able politicians. The first rebuff
experienced by these self appointed judges
and distributors, was suffered at the joint
convention held last year, when number
of pet candidates were relegated to remain
in obscurity. A spirit of independence
took possession of the members OF the
City Council, with the result that COM
binations were made, and the slate, when
it emerged from the convention, was
badly broken.
This year the work Of this committee
will be harder than ever, as the opposition
is intensified, and a majority OF the MEM
pers of the City Council are determined to
be their own masters, and to appoint men
to the offices who will work for the inter-
est of the several departments In place OF
working for the advancement OF the party
bosses. Several attempts have been made
recently to 60 into caucus, but the leaders
have been afraid to put into execution
their former tactics. 1t Is well under
stood fact that there are six OF the MEM
mers of the City Council who will listen to
no dictation from the party bosses. 1t is
quite certain that Mr.. Dexter will not take
kindly to any suggestion from Mr.. Dennis,
for the simple reason that he (Mr. Dexter)
is not a member of the Council by the
good will of Mr.. Dennis or the ring.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Lemay
was slated by the ring for the position
which Mr.. Dexter now holds, but the
voters of the Third Ward revolted in eau
Gus, and plainly told Mr.. Dennis that they
were fully capable of attending to their
own affairs, and knew who would be the
proper persons to represent them in the
City Council Another gentleman from
the same ward who does not smile very
benignly when he meets some of his broth
er members and their mentors, is the
genial alderman. He does not take very
kindly to the frigid treatment he has re-
ceived in that body and some day the fur
will fly, and fly with vengeance.
Alderman Barber of the Fifth Ward has
no particular reasons to go into rhapsodies
when Mr.. Dennis or Alderman Eastwood's 3
names are mentioned, and when the occa-
sion arises he can be depended upon to
pay back some old scores with compound
interest. So the story goes, and SO the
trouble Of the dictators are multiplying.