The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-06
was taken by unanimous vote. The fol-
lowing message from the Mayor was read :
CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS,
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR,

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR,
CENTRAL FALLS, X. l., Apiil 0, 1897. |
To the Honorable the Board OF Aldermen: |
Gentlemen-In reply to communication
received from you through the clerk OF the
Board, would say that called special |
meeting of tn. Board Of Aldermen for 40 a.
m Friday last; that your honorable Board |
neglected to assemble in special session as
called for by me, but met instead as IN ad-
journed meeting. IT was stated then that
there was a communication from the Mayor;
the honorable President of your honorable
Board declared that 1t could not be received
except by unanimous consent, and such con-
sent was graciously given.
wish to call your attention to few clauses
of the city charter with which 1t seems you
are not particularly acquainted, and recon-,
mend ON your part closer study OF said
charter.
Clause 8 OF section reads: He (the Mayor
may call meetings of the City Council or
either Board thereof at his discretion, al
though such Board may have adjourned TO
more distant day.
He (the Mayor shall from time to time
communicate to either or both Boards OF the
CITY Council such information and recon-
mend TO them such measures as in his opin-
ion the business and interests OF the city may
require.
This clause is mandatory. 1t reads, "He
shall"
You will please notice 1t is not required
that the Chief Executive of the city shall ap-
pear before your honorable body and state
his reasons for his requests or recommenda.
tions; neither Is there any way provided by
which your honorable Board may neglect 10
answer q call from the Mayor for special
meeting. 1t is therefor obligatory on your
part TO answer such call. But 1t would seem
TO me there Is not, or ought not to be- any
necessity for me to appear before your hon-
a. alxA cln n
matter that concerns the welfare Oh your
Rule is'of the rules OF order OF the Board
Of Aldermen, after giving the order OF BUS
mess OF every regular meeting, reads: FRO
vided, however, that at all meetings special
ly called by the Mayor, the special business
for which such meeting Is called. shall be
first In order after roll call, and shall be taken
up and exclusively considered until 1t Is
finally acted upon at such meeting, and no
other business shall be acted upon or con-
sidered at such meeting except by unani.
nous consent of the Board.
1t is my belief that knowledge OF this rule
was one reason of your failure to meet in
special session.
The communication sent your honorable
Board requested that you cause all liquor
saloons to be closed between certain hours
on April I. You have authority under the
law to order such saloons closed, and are
which Ii is evident your honorable Board Is
fully aware. Then why does your honorable
Board withhold decision until the eleventh
hour? A year ago the Board OF Aldermen,
in anticipation of an expected request, and
in Difference to public sentiment ordered
the liquor saloons of the city closed. The
same reasons which probably then induced
them to close the said saloons hold good
this year, as the conditions remain the
same.
IT you would ask why should the saloons
be closed on election day, l would say that
the Board of Aldermen closed them last
year and evidently they must have had
some good reason for doing. Any man
with q fair degree of intelligence can fully
comprehend the reasons that can be ad-
vanced for closing the saloons, IA well as
those against closing.
All lovers of good government cannot fail
to realize the necessity of curtailing the
power and influence of the saloons The
ballot is too sacred a privilege To be con
trOlled or dictated TO by the liquor interests.
The subject is by no means "a new one. The
State of Massachusetts considered the mat
ter of such grave importance and of such
danger to the purity of the ballot that she
enacted statutory law compelling the sa.
looms to be closed on election days.
Not only that, but the people of that State
are given an opportunity i'm each year To
ing, as required in our state, for that which
should be an inherent right.
have made simple request. one which
have q right to make, and one that requires
no explanation from me- You were re-
qucsted to "take such action thereon as you
may deem just and proper" The matter was
left to your honorable Board To exercise
your own judgment, without any regard To
any opinion of mine, and there leave IL.
WILLIAM VON GOTTsCHALK, Mayor.
On motion of Alderman Barber the COM
municatIon was received and placed on file.
In his third communication Mayor
Gottschalk nominated the following as
special police constables OF the city:
Thomas johnson, George Watt, Ralph
Young, James Irwin, III. s. Borden, John
Sullivan, James j.. Foy, Albert X. Baton
and James Powers. On motion of Alder
man Mccartney action on the nominations
was continued until a later meeting.
On the motion of President Eastwood
the request OF Mayor GottschaIk asking
that the saloons be closed on election day
which was received at the adjourned meet
ing last Friday morning was taken from
the table. After an affirmative vote had
been taken, City Clerk Crawford stated
that he had a brief ex PLANTATION to make i'm
regard TO the matter OF the Board not
meeting last Friday morning ian special
session as called by the Mayor. On Thurs
day afternoon about o'clock he said he
received message from the Mayor asking
him to call a special meeting of the Board
for S:45 o'clock the next day. Al that
time he had just prepared to go to Provi-
dence where he had an engagement with
City Solicitor Bosworth in regard to city
business.
He transacted his business with Judge