The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-02
Mr.. GARDENERS ADDRESS.

NIX. GARDNERS ADDRESS. 4
Cheer after cheer greeted Mr. Gardner
as he ar.se and when the applause SUBJ
sided he spoke follows.
Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlernens
! ~ your presiding officer has suggested
We have come here this evening To discuss
issues in this municipal campaign. I am
here TO tell you why In my Judgment 10
| Is the duty OF the right thinking citizens
Of Providence 30 elect as mayor for the
ensuing year Daniel l.. ID. Granger, rath-
| er than his partisan opponent.
~ am perfectly Well aware that there
| is one issue I'm this campaign which ~
| uppermost In all our minds. That issue
| transfer tickets-Iapplausel should fult
| discussion and IL will be dis
| cussed at length by the man OF all men
| best htted To discuss II. the mayor h!m-
| self. But there are also other issues in
t..ls campaign which are perhaps less
| prominent OF which we are thinking less
earnestly today. and which should in like
manner receive our most careful atten-
| tion. IT seems to me II they are fully
| understood they will bring to our candi-
| date the vote OF every man who exercises
| the right OF suffrage
FIRST REASON y
"The first and most important reason
why our candidate should he reelected
stands for the principles of non-partisan-
ship, 10 which our president has referred.
Now. If there is anything upon which tho
citizens OF this city have cause to con-
gratulate themselves in their political ac-
tion during the last six years, IL is the
result OF their abandonment OF the prin-
cipies of partisanship IL the election OF q
mayor If we want to realize vividly what
partisanship I'm It's worst form is, we
| have only to look at the conditions in the
city OF New York today. Six years ago
William u. Strong was nominated by the
1 Citizens Union. He received the indorse-
ment of the Republican party and was
/ elected mayor OF New York. he made
. George Waring his superintendent OF
streets, and for thS first time almost
within the memory of any New Yorker
living the streets were cleaned--the streets
where the poorest and humblest citizens
live. and the death rate was reduced. He
made Theodore Roosevelt, faithful in
that comparatively humble duty as he
has been faithful to every duty imposed
upon him tapplause), his police commits
sioner. and the police department of the
city OF New York was taken out OF poll
tics. crime was suppressed, and the rights
of the weakest preserved.
Through the action of that non-parti-
san city government school houses were
built for children who never before had
an opportunity to go 10 school; the tene-
of buildings which were death traps was
for the first time enforced The expert
ment was tried and tried successfully for
three years. and when the time came for
the next election the Republican party
found itself unable TO proceed ON nom
partisanship lines They argued that they
had elected Mayor Strong and he had not
done anything for the Republican hang
ers-on, and they nominated straight
ticket and the Tammany candidate was
elected.
LOCAL EXPERIENCE.
"Now, our own experience In partsau-
ship and -partisanship has been no
less eloquent With singular inconsist-
ency We have applied the principles OF
non-partisanship to the election or our
mayor and the principles of partisanship
in the election OF representatives TO the
general assembly, who under our system
are hardly less city officers than are tho
members of the city council. What has
been the result2 You have had tho last
six years men who have either taken an
active part with their fellow-servants In
the employ of the boss. In stripping the
city OF Providence of all the rights IL
possessed and turned over The munici-
pality. bound hand and foot. TO the ten
der mercies OF corporations. or permittedN
IL to he done with scarcely shadow of
protest. We have applied partisanShip
70 the election of our governor. and |
doubt II there Is any man here. whose
heart has swelled with pride during the
last six years by reason of the fact that
the governor of the state was the man
that he was. In the election OF our mayor
We have abandoned that principle and you
know what has been the result. We have
had three men for mayor of whom the
stnen sEs have Hepupss% seen @ Meones
that brave, noble. true-hearted. honest
man. who gave his life to the citizens no
less truly than the hero who died on the
hu
successor. and Daniel L. ID. Granger, the
ideal mayor
Now Mr. President. Ladies and Gentle
men. with this record. are you ready to-
night 10 abandon those principles and
take up the old system OF partisanship IN
municipal affairs. They arguments
for the reelection OF Mr. Granger Let
us see what are the arguments for the
election OF the gentleman nominated IN
ing the past day or TWO little circular.
ON the top line or which is given the
whole argument for the election of Mr..
publican ticket. w. B. Vincent for mayor
That ~ the argument This man u Re-
publican: therefore. without any sort or
Inquiry into his fitness Ia order that you
may be a party man. YOU must vote the
whole Republican ticket, without inquir-
ing whether he Is honest. whether he has
had expericncc. whether he knows any
thing about the needs OF the city or has
any convictions; without reference tn
these things entirely. the argument Is.
vote FOR him because he is a Republican.
AGAINST STATION PLAN.
"There Is another reason which IL In
voiNed in the character and I'm the record
OF the two men. Mr. Granger deserves
an Endorsement az your hands, because
he is a man who has convictions, and
when he believes he Is right he n not
afraid 10 announce those convictions. and
he intends To exercise all The powers that
his office c0nfers upon him. You have
read possibly the annual message Of Mr.
Granger. delivered upon assuming the of
flee for the first time You have rcnt
his letter OF acceptance and you know
that in that message there ~ no matter