The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-23
Mayor Granger PreSideS at Meeting
and Address Delivered by Mr..
Woodruff OF Philadelphia.

10 administer the Affairs OF city or Of
department or bureau OF a city Justify to
his conscience the use OF the on.Ces FOR Z
partisan or factonal purposes; whether
there ls civil service reform law ON
the statute books or not? Az a Christian
ne believes IA the doctrine of steward
ship He knows that every place OF re-
sponsibiity In which he is placed Is
trust TO he administered for the proper
use aud behoof OF the beneficiary He
recognizes this fact when the trust hap
pens TO he private one: but how many
do when IL is public one2 The spprecia-
tion of one's sccountability seems 90 di-
minish az the trust passes from private
10 public and increases IN size; and yet
fs there Hrrv substantial t.-.lerence? II
hold myself TO q strict accountability for
the administra tion OF a trust OF SloOno
for John Smith; whs should ! hold my
self to any less accountability when the
income amounts To sB3.Wo.eW aud l,250mo
people are involved instead of one?
"On every side. however, We see men
prominent I'm church work and scrupulous-
IS exact In private concerns, accepting
public office aud administering u on the
spoils system. claiming that IL Is politics.
Does calling an act by different name In
anywise alter It's character; or lessen
ones responbility Ia regard TO IL Should
| such an excuse availG
Not only IL the civil service of the city
used for political purposs on the plea or
! political necessity but the favored con-
! tractor is familiar personage IN Ameri-
! can municipal politics. AIcn have grown
| rich from contracts awarded through po-
| ntical pulls The idca that the letting of
a public contract is q public trust does
not seem TO have dawned upon the mind
of the average public Official
ABUSE or POLICE POWER.
Perhaps the crsycsi sbousc the police
power was witnessed little ovcr year
ago in Philadelphia when the director OF
the department OF public safety, who has
charge % The bureau ef police. sought 10
blackmail "a private citizen into silence
and through him stop the personal crti-
cisms Of his sons newspaper When the
chiefs OF our police departments So far
forget their duties 90 the public and that
they hold their Office as servanis of the
people and not as masters. then indeed are
we in danger; although J am Inclined To
tho opinion that the grea test menace 90
our municipal welfare lies In the direc-
tion of the relation OF the public service
corporations 70 our city governments.
More frequent aud graver scandals have
attached 10 the granting or franchises
and privileges 10 private corporations
than 10 the exercise ~ any other munici-
pal function. and they have been more
general
LET MS recife few In New York we
recall the BroadwaN franchise steal which
resulted IN the conviction of several alder
/ men the fieht Of still more aud The death
OF the lobbyist while swaiting trial \ few
months ago well known citizens of Kan
sss city were obliged 90 resort TO de-
monstration OF force 20 prevent the couu-
ellis from granting additional franchise
on Inadequate terms 90 favored corpora
tion. Within couple Of years the citizeus
OF Chicago We're forced 90 take similar
steps 10 protect themselves against the
agsressions ~ the street railway com
| pauics 10 has not been a year since
| dozen or more of the rouncilmeu OF
scranton we're indicted FOR acceptiug
| brlbes from pubiic service corporations
1 and resigned their offices and paid the
/ money they received 20 local charities sf-
Ter they were detected
FRANCtusE FACTS
"In phladelphia fom years ago the
7 council passed and the mayor approved
/ ~ ordinance leasing the gas works of
( the city for 80 years 60 the Cnited Gas
4 Improvement company ln the face oi =
7 bid from another company onering
I slnW0.U0 more for THE lease
~ year ago au ordinance was passed
giving 10 The friends ot the mayor tele-
/ nhonc franrhises estimated 20 b. worth
| not less than s5.Nn.N1 without providing
\ for ono cent of conpensafion 10 the CITY
oT a0lfdiug suv safeguards 90 IT. inter-
csts SiN years $50 auofher telephone
! ordinance wsf u, s~ed aud iu az invcstigs-
4 tiou which followed Ia vas ST0NIT rrTIr ''rS-
1 shares Of the stock Stood in ihe nanies
uf the tWo bossrH ~ TIE city sud that
there Was sufficient number of blocks
4 of - shafes each 90 correspond 10 two
! thirds ~ the membetshln OF the select
1 council and hiock ~ six shares each 70
| correspond 10 tvo-thirir 81 tue common
| council while one Of these ceftiNcafce Tor
| sir snarcg was traced into the assets Or
| "A 80 councilman.
only this .gprigs IN, c2unf,l. rassed IN