The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-21
LA Is 7
$50 O'CLOCK.
Oh MY,
MULEAGUE! +!
You Have Cheered Col.
Hendricks Friends.
| SNAP POLITICS, INDEED.
Twenty-Five Members Endorse
Candidate Baker.
SNAP POLITICS, INDEED.
Twenty-Five Members Endorse
Candidate Baker.
The TAXPAYERS CAUCUSES.

"It was the ost contemplate proceed
ing have ever known in politics" de
clared mem Der of the Municipal League
this morning.
He had reference of course, to tho action
of twenty nine mem bers OF that body who
voted TO endorse tho candidacy Of William
G. Baker for mayor OF Providence and the
trick performed to give that vote the
social sanction of the league.
There are 400 members OF the Muni-
cipal League. Thirty -nine of them
attended last nights meeting. Twenty
five arc quorum necessary 10 do
business. Upon "A resolution TO en-
dorse Mr.. Baker, twenty-nine voted
in the affirmative, five in the
negative and five declined TO participate
in such an action, evidently being OPP
posed to any position that would identify
the organization with political parties In
this campaign. AS a three-fourth' q vote
of mem bers present is necessary to such
an endorsement, the resElution was lost,
anu subsequently believing the matter
closed, two of the members loft the meet
ing, whereupon the resolution was again
put and the 90 votes were sufficient to
carry it.
eli Mr.. Baker sought the endorsement
of the Municipal League, said the mem
ber above qpoted, II hope he is satisfied
With the result of his efforts. But mono
of his friends can be. Such vote as
that, especially in consideration of the
trick by which IL was recorded and made
the official expression Of the League,
cannot bot hurt his chances Of election.
Thinking people will regard 1t only as a
piece of snap politics. The endorsement,
under the circumstances, isn't worth the
paper il is written on. 1t is bound to
lose him votes instead OF making them
for him..
The general opinion, so far as it could
be learned by interviews with men of all
parties, seemed to be in agreement with
this view. Friends of Candidate Baker
regretted the action of the Muleague
meeting, declared it to be hasty and i'll
advised ana calculated to do more harm
to their candidate than good.
why" said one of them, Just think
of it Here is an organization composed
of 400 members. supposed to represent
all parties by the ill-considered
action of less than ten per cent
of the mem bership, the league as a body
is placed in the position of supporting
the Democratic candidate while falling
to give its endorsement to ID. l.. ID.
Granger for city treasurer, who surely, II
nybody does, represents the non-partisan
sentiment that the league claims TO stand
for, or Mr.. Cummings, who has also
stood as protege Of bipartisan
ship. How can 10 per cont Of
the mem bersbip assume to speak
for 400 voters? 1t is ridiculous.
The league has been put in the position
of making q monumental blunder. Mr..
Bakers too eager friends have made n
blunder. II anything would disgust his
non-partjsan supporters, IL is that action
OF the rump meeting last night Such q
course can but make supporters for Col.
Kendrick. No fairminded citizen, in
doubt about his choice, would hesitate a
moment 10 condemn such IN endorse
ment by making his ballot for the other
fellow.
"If the ring leaders Of the Municipal
League haven't made n mess of il, de-
clareu another citizen, =" miss my guess.
am not n member OF the league, but
am cordially in sympathy with its gen.
eral purposes. have besitated to join
because it seemed to me that the ring
that controls it have no higher ambition
than TO use the organization as weapon
for the squaring OF personal political
grievances against the Republican party
and os a tail to the Democratic kite, for
all their nigh sounding doctrines of
lofty. civic virtues
"lhe ring showed It's hand last night as
IL never did before The league machine
was evidently, bound TO endorse the Demo
cratic candidate at whatever cost To their
self respect and the integrity of tho or
gauization. IL was a desperate act that
only the Democrats and the disgruntlcd
In the organization will endorse. The
big mem bsrship Of the league Is already
confined almost entirely to the First
and Second wards and this sort OF
business will not alone prevent II from
spreading ana becoming tho central
power iu municipal affairs chat 10 aims
20 be. out right IN the wards Of its chief
strength 10 Is bound TO lose mem bers