The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-04
THE DESPERATE ATTACK ON THE
STATE HOUSE COMMISSION.

AS has been suspected from the BEGIN
ming, the chief opposition to the state
House loan, which comes from the Provi-
cence Journal, springs from no other
grounds than that Of personal malice and
q desire to "sit on" the mbers Of the
commission that is quite characteristic
Of the journal method or voicin9 what 1t
would be pleased TO call "public opin-
ion. which Is nothing but its own
and usually prompted by either selfish
ness or spits.
Nothing that the Journal has said or
done since the wrstched and venal part 1t
took in the frst Goc Goo campaign when
no c,tizcn Of Providence Of current dis
tinction in public afYsira who also was
courageous enough to call himslf
member Of the Repu blicsn party. was safe
from slander In the Journals columns In
q degree that a newspaper usually re-
serves for common criminals has
matched this attack on the State
House Commissioners. The malicious
attack is not even thinly veiled by
grouping 1t with other and perfectly fair
arguments against the loan. The Journals
venom stands out glnrinsly. Its pre-
tended argument is as Insulting as any
thing that even the Journal has resorted
to in attempting to dictate Rhode Island
politics during the past decade
But this dirty attack will deceive no
one. 1t will sot mike one vote on the
Journals side of the case. Indeed. what
ever strength the Journals case had Is
forever destroyed by the vindiotiveness as
demonstrated In Its exposure of its real
purpose In fighting the proposition. In
it's desperation 10 throws aside its cloak
of pretending to speak for the public in
terest and shows to friends and opponents
alike that Its chief. IL not, indeed, Its
only object 10 to wreck It's vengeance
upon the State Houss commission for
some real or fsncied grievance, the nature
of which can be of no possible public In
torsst.
One need only to review the names Of
the distinguished citizens who. from
time to time. have had, or who now have,
part in the most splendid and credit
able enterprise ever undertaken In the
State Of Rhode Island. to demosstrats
how outrageous is the Journals calumny.
The commission, or Its predecessor that
created the plans VIII icn the present body
Is now bound by Its oath to carry out,
never represented partisanship. fautions or
sectionailsin. 1t wss the creation of q
spontaneous demand for the work now
being so thoroughly and excsllontly por-
formed and for which the PEOPLE Of Rhode
Island for generations will rejoice. Her
bort W. Ladd. as unselfish and public
spirited man rs ever occupied the office
OF governor. 10 the father OF the State
House" but what he was fortunately able
to set in operation had been advocated
and urged for score of years by his pre-
decsssors from Seth Padslford down the
line Of governors to his time. His polit-
ioal opponent Honest John" w. Davis
was, from the outset, bis warmest sup
porter in the great public work. and to
the prosecution of IL In It's preliminary
and later stages were quickly enlisted
suoh public spirited men as Nathaniel b.
Church, Rowland q. Hazard, Joshua Will.
bour. Gen. Oiney Arnold, the late Albert
ssylss, Col Francis l.. O'Reiily, Senator
wstinors, the late Enos Lapnam. Gen.
William Ames, Webster Knight, Elery II.
Wilson, and d. Russell Brown, the latter
of whom, when In the executive Office
gave the project hearty encouragement,
taking the same broad interest in its
promotion that has marked its various
steps and early advocacy by every one of
the governors for many years before his
tine.
1t Is not necessary to offer any support
or advocacy In behalf Of the character,
business sasacity, or public spirit of men
like these. They are known. respected
and trusted BY their fellow w-citizsns oil over
the State. In the State House work they
have given time and interest In . greater
measure ttan has ever bsen demanded of
any official body since the founding of
the commonwealth, perhaps. They are
safe from any such infamous assault as
that Of the Journals desperate manifesto.
The work they represent is in the hands
Of the people. The people will seq that IL
ia rrooeeded with in tho only wAy dictated