The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-04


. bill calling for = plillioft and hall
dollars therefor 1he Assusnbly con1mit.
tee that ba4-~the hill tn1ts Keeping for
consideratioa> conferrod ~ ith. .fho atake
house comIpsSsioters- and were inform6d
that not SO much ss that by about half
was Immediately needed, but that {SOc.-
900 was quits sufficient To complete tEe
structure make IL habitable and place
the state government In the quarters pro-
viced Tor 10 by the plans adopted five
years ago or more This much was mes sd
ed, however. at cnoe, II the work was to
be proceeded with without costly inter
ruption that would require the closing In
OF tho structure at an estimated exrense
Of more than $780, 900, which money
woult, Of course. have To be thrown away
just so room az the work cf completion
was ngain resum ed, 20 the bill was
amended and the Assembly almost unani-
mously voted to submit to the people the
proposition to issue bonds to the amount
OF $780, 000 which Is to come before them
on Wednesday next. and wbioh they are
asked, on the asis Of public economy
and business wisdom, TO vote :" Yes"
EXPOSURE OF personal MALICE.
There ara two sides to every question.
and naturally the proposition developed
some newspaper opposition to the apIro-
priation, but most OF this harked back
10 the old and bygone issue that state
house so beautiful ana noble as this was
too good for Rhode Island, a spirit which
has barnssed every public work ever un-
dertaken by the state--the sane spirit
that made hot politics over the water
works proposition In the city Of Provl-
dcnce years ago, which camo near wreck
ing an administration when the sewer
loan was projected and which delayed
railroad terminal facilities for q quarter
of century. But the People at lar. .
have no sympathy in this dead issue.
They hsd votei tor the state house Ilans
and they would vote for the Appropriation
TO ex cate them and not lsave item half
complete. a reflection on the business sa-
gacity and public spirit of Rhode Island.
AS a last desperate resort tDien, the
journal, this morning. issued It's innlig
nant trade against the board OF state
house commissioners, arcusinG them OF
using their power unwortbily with rsck-
Il 50 DISREGARD OF the public interests ana
calling on the voters to rsbuke them end
retire them from their Tost ty voting
down the bond proposition and before
giving any more funds for the state house.
This attack was as imrolitic as 1t was
venomous ana uncalled for. Ths names
Of the state house comm missiorers are q
sufficient guarantee OF charac.er to need
NO Cefence from such Cd attack rs the
Journal has made. That attack wss EVIL
dentiv prompte by TO eArthly toneidera-
ton OF the public interests, nut by the
spirit of grievance thar the Journal has
against the members OF the commission
personally. tecause, forsooth, they have
probably neRlectu TO obAy tha city be-
nests of tbs journal during the progress
of the work the people intrustd TO their
hands and by doing their plain duty 10
the public In a way to conserve the pub
Tic interests aud rebound to the credit OF
their state and of themselves they have
incurred the petty suite OF the journal.
as many pub 10 inen have dCns before
them, and have now beeb made the TARGET
for Its vile abuse.
CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMISSION
How widespread has the support Of the
stats house proposition developed within
the past few years es the noble pile has
sruwn on Cspitcl hill 10 syiderccd BY
the recent remark OF \ promiuent official
in large banking institution to the
eifett tnat while, at tie ontset. he Was
opposed to building 30 costly o home
tor tho state government now that rka
work was so far at vanosd and gave evi-
dence OF becoming 80 n tile a structure In
which the people Of the state would take
pride for generation after generation.
and that the con mission had Demon
strated To such large degree the con-
tidence OF the piople IMPOSED In 1T, hc was
heartily in favor Of providing all the
funds necessary to Its ot tmpietioD.
WORkINGMEN WILL VOTE YES"
AS a rule. the wcrkingmen have al
ways been In favor cf the Jroiect. It
has provided remunsratlve employment
To both skilled and unskilled labor for
five years, now, and will continue 10
furnish such enployme for several
years to come. stopping tie work now
will throw many out II emplov vmcnt. Ii
is natural that tits class of citizsns
should heartily approve the great work,
and esreciallv has IL proved popular
among them since Ii came at time of
severe distress throughout the country
and tho state.
1t should be borne in mind tnat fully
cne-third Of the money already expended
has been paid back to the workmen VINO
have been employed on the construction
Of the building, and the same rule will
obtain in regard to the money 10 be ex-
pended in the future. There certainly
cannot have been any desire tn erect a
largo edifice simply for the sake OF show.
for, as tho arrnngement Of the several
rooms stands today, there are only IA un-
occupied, and only i've of the important
committees Of, the General Assembly
have been provided with regular quar-
ters. the others having none. As TO be-
ing a particularly ornate builiing, such
a statement is utterly absurd. inasmuch
as when completed it will not be nearly
ns elegant as the Banigan building i'm fin
isb. but will simply bs finished rs any
Office building should te.
1t should also be- borne In mind that IL
granite had Leen used as tie construc-
ton material tte new state house would
have cost $3.50 600 mor3 than IL will by be-
ing constructed of marhls. OF the SUN
already expended 100000 was taken up
for the site, ana this amount wos in ec-
ditioD to the f2UO, 900 siven by the city
Providence. WorkinRmen and business
men alike appie late these facts.
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