The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-26
CHAT AND CHAFE.

obliged.
Just at this moment my head Is in
a whIrl trying to figure II out,
IL is this way:
You see am an indignant citizen.
Or rather was. Whether am now
or not. or whether ! ought to be Is
lust what I would like TO find out. /
want to do what is right and what my
friends expect Of me and my conscience
approves and make as few mistakes as
possible.
or course we are all liable TO mis-
takes, because we are human. You
can't be human and be without error
and you can't be anything else but hu-
man unless you are nothing at all. In
which case OF course you aren't any
thing worth mentioning.
But l divert.
What I was going to tell you about
was my indignation.
/ was astounded and made indignant
the other day on discovering that the
Consolidated railroad had petitioned
the General Assembly TO secure the
right of eminent domain in our beloved
state.
That is, was astounded and indig-
nant when / read in the paper that
every good citizen was astounded and
indignant at the discovery.
regard myself as one of every good
citizen and so was astounded and in
dignant.
None others more so, l assure you.
Between you and me, my ideas OF
eminent domain are rather misty.
Ordinarily 1 should not have given
any more attention to a bill asking FOR
eminent domain presented to the legis-
lature than i would to a petition from
the governor to increase his salary. or
a bill for an act constituting the ten
commandments. as an amendment TO
the General Statutes
But when understood from the pa
per that the intelligent citizenship of
Rhode Island saw through the thinly
yelled plot designed to undermine their
sacred institution and aim blow at
the rights and liberties for which their
fathers fought, figured that felt that
way about IL too.
The paper declared further that the
citizens were uprising as one man and
so / uprose.
Il went UP 10 the State House the
other day to what was called hearing
on the BILL They call 1t hearing be-
cause everybody wants to speak at once
and nobody wants TO hear.
There / got some light on eminent
domain and great deal Of information
as to indignant and intelligent citi-
xenship and all that sort OF thing. 1
became enthusiastic.
so came down town turning IL over
in my mind whether / should write a
letter TO the editor. laundering the sem
timents of an intelligent and indignant
citizenship on the subjec.,or hire hall
and make it mass meeting.
compromised by striking Billy Budd
and backing him up against the side OF
the Industrial Trust company, while /
poured fervid words into both his ears.
why" l says to Billy waving my
hands excitedly, so that horse stand
ing by the curb shied and q bicycle
leaning against the trolley post tipped
over, this thing Is public outrage.
Here is the Consolidated railroad, a
soulless monopoly, that doesn't do
anything but run cars for a living.
seeking TO despoil us Of our rights and
demanding that 1t be permitted to take
our homes and firesldes from us in or
der that II may turn our lawns into
freight stations and run switching en-
gines through the space where our little
children lie peacefully sleeping. Now
amt that a shame?'
IL suppose 'tis." says Billy.
You suppose IL is." exclaimed.
You suppose II is. Why. IL you are
an intelligent citizen you know 1t is and
are going to- uprise with indignation"
We'll, dunno" says Billy. 1T amt
clear in my mind why the Consolidated
is so very different from the other one
and ! don't see why so much fuss IL
made about the Consolidated when
nothing at all was said about the other
one"
Billy, you see. was talking i'm riddles.
cooled off little to inquire what he
meant by the other one
why" says Billy. THE Suburban
railroad. They asked for the right Of
eminent domain too. They asked for IT
before the Consolidated did"
oh" ! observed scornfully, you're
way off. The Suburban railroad only
wanted 10 condemn two or three little
pieces OF pasture down in the country.
There was no invasion of our rights
nor menace TO our institutions in that
case. You ought 10 see that. There
Is a great difference"
We'll. I dunno" says Billy who IL
awful stubborn when he has mind
10 be. II don't see the difference"
well, should think you would IL
you We're an intelligent citizen" says.
"well. you tell me the difference"
says Billy.