The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-04
THAT "uERRY-co-'RoUSD" AGAIN.

| TIA "MEkkl- l-fsO-'HOJGD' AGAIN.
Says our esteemed but In this instance
half baked contemporary, the Woonsocket
Reporter: Several thousands of work
ingmen and their families were deprived
last Sunday of the innocent recrcations TO
which they had looked forward with
pleasure during the long hours of toll
that filled their week by the action of
the chief of police OF Providence in put
ting a stop to tho merry -go-round and
other amusements at Roger Williams
Park. "
There is much more in this same strain
quite too much 10 produce, for with such IA
text the sermon the Reporter proaches
is just naturally rot. The deprivation of
innocent recreation on the part Of several
thousands Of workingmcn amounted TO
the ordering OF the merry -go-round To
stop going around and the music of the
hand organ 90 cease on Sunday at the
park. Riding boby horse to tho thrump.
te-tum -tum Of a hand organ is surely TO
be classed as innocent recreation. Moth
ing certainly could be more innocent. We
cannot imagine the habit of the jouucing
wooden horse leading further on TO
deeds of viciousness No horrible possibili-
ties attach TO the indulgence. On with
the merry go-round, let Joy DO uncon-
fined
Whether it is decorous to ride the
merry -go-round on tho Sabbath day de-
pends on the point Of view. We doubt If
the editor of the Reporter would take
kindly 10 the whirling horses and the
dance music of the organ If they were in
progress all day Sunday in the yard Of his
next door neighbor. However, II is IA small
matter, In our moments OF livliest imagi-
nation we could not conceive several
thousands Of workingmen" standing about
wailing and weeping and gnashing their
teeth because the merry -go-round was not
going round Some folk in this town
are making a great cry over a very iusig
niioant matter. The merry-go- round
at the park is an institution put up 10y
private Individual as "A matter of bus-
ness. The privilege is paid for to the city
md . al ha bn
out Of it, We doubt If anybody cares n
toothpicl's worth to have the merry.go-
round run on Sunday. On the other
hand considerable part of the commu-
nifty is opposed to its running on a day
that it holds sacred, and the decorousness
or which IL believes should DO preserved
in small things as we'll as large. The
liberties of the people are not invaded OK
cept In the view OF few persons who
lose no opportunity to talk claptrap and
spill argumentatiye rubbish.
hnd while the merry go round privi.
lege is a private affair its leasing puts
the municipal corporation in the position
of running it. We cannot believe that
the City Council would hire money TO
set up merry,go- round Of its own, or
course, but just the same the city govern
ment is responsible for it and should
place such restrictions upon it as
meet tho approval of the citizens 1t is
a small matter anyhow. The park would
be just as beautiful and just as many
people would go out there If the Landscape
were unadorned by merry go round.
The city is not compelled by any popular
demand to supply merry go round
or nickel in -tho-slot machines or any
thing of tho sort To amuse us and it
should only supply the things chat meet
with the general approval of the people
When anything is set up that conflicts
with the ideas of innocent recreation OF
any considerable part of the pooplo IL
ought TO be abolished and without max
ing any fuss or indulging in any flub dub
about it.
One would think from reading the
fcrvd outbursts of contemporaries like
the Woonsocket Reporter and the proyi-
dcnce Journal that the Chief OF police had
ordered the sun to quit shlu.ng on Roger
Williams Park on Sundays.
Keep cool till you're hit
--