The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-14
The Voice of
The People


MENT.
Editor Providence News:
II was Sunday A good appearing man
and In proper attireall on the outside'
walked into a drug store.
Can l get half q pint OF whiskeyT' he
asked OF the druggist.
The man(D was q spotterl The drug
gist was arrested and fined. He had
broken the law. Such was the verdict OF
the police commissioners.
Another day, In the state house the gen.
eral assembly passed a law. The United
Traction company refused 10 obey 1t.
Where is the police commission?
No spotter was necessary to ferret out
this crime. The only difference Is tnat
ono was committed by a poor druggist: {:
the other by a large corporation.
This particular druggist has a license
which permits him TO sell whiskey ror
medicinal purposes. not less than half a
pint or more than q pint. not 10 be drunk
on the premises. His crime consisted In
selling half pint OF whiskey. for medicinal
purposes on Sunday. The license does
not mention Sunday. and when this was
explained TO one OF the police commits
sioners. he informed the druggist that
such a clause should be understood by
any one who had sufficient intelligence TO
be q druggist.
Judging the police commission by its
own standard / would like to ask the
amount OF intelligence necessary TO be n
police commissioner? would like 10 ask
also II II - an outward sign OF inward
grace TO be 80 enthusiastic after law and
order that spoilers are employed to fer
ret out what is difficult. impossible In TINS
case, TO construe into a technical break
ing OF the law, and then 10 permit the
traction company to not only openly
break the law, but to force the present
strike upon the community.
JOHN A. MLAUGHIIN.
A POINTED QUESTION.
Editor Providence News:
VIII you tell me why It is, II the Union
Railroad company is breaking the ten
hour law. that the sheriff of the Provi-
dence county uses his deputies and the
governor calls out the militia TO protect
IL.
Is 1t the function of the state to pro-
tect corporation that refuses to obey
a state law2 TAXPAYER.
BUSINESS SATISFACTORY"
Editor Providence News:
Every day comes the stereotyped state
ment over the signature OF the general
manager of the business OF the traction
monopoly. that the strike situation is
satisfactory from the monopoly stand
point thdt cars dIc On nchTiy
the routes on schedule time or nearly so.
etc, etc.
Whoever will observe the cars as they
pass him on the street Will at once agree
with tho general manager Of the trac-
tion monopoly's business that the mo-
nopoly has sufficiency Of cars In
operation TO accommodate all OF the
business offering, bu. II the volume OF
business that the monopoly is doing Is
satisfactory" to the monopoly, the
monopoly Is easily satisfied. which no
body believes. Its greed has been dem
onstrated too often.
Still while the public Is responding
magnihcently to the appeal Of the labor
organizations to refrain from using the
cars of the traction monopoly, n large
proportion OF those who are using that
service are doing so thoughtlessly
Those who are In sympathy with the
monopoly In It's defiance OF law will. OF
course. manifest that sympathy by Civ
ing II their patronage, but every citizen
who must go into the market and ex
change his labor for the necessities OF
life should understand that the battle
which the street car men are waging is
his battle, and that In patronizing the
monopoly he Is forging chains for his
own limbs. IL every workingman will
consult his own interest he will hold up
the hands of his striking brothers by
Withholding his patronage from the
traction monopoly. Try walking for
few days IL is good exercise. or II you
dislike walking patronize the union
busses.
GEORGE d. LIDDELL.