The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-19

Q
cial election in the Tenth ward to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of William H. Covell, it will
be guilty OF as gross and ndefensbe an act of in
Justice as has ever been committed in the city OF
Providence.
For such course there is neither warrant nor
excuse If it is followed the end, it will furnish
another illustration of the petty partisan spirit that
controls the upper branch of the city government,
and of its readiness to play peanut politics when
ever the opportunity presents itself.
The Tenth ward is the largest in the city; and
its people are entitled to representation in the
board of aldermen, not for five months, but for
the entire year The refusal of such representation
will be a plain and reprehensble denial of their
charter-given rights.
In justification of the present attitude OF the
OF the aldermen il is contended that the condition
of the municipal treasury does not warrant the ex
pense OF a special election. This is no justification
whatever because the cost of such election will
make no serious drain upon the treasury, and even
il it did do so, il would still furnish absolutely no
excuse for leaving the ward without representation.
Had the vacancy occurred last January or
February instead of at the beginning of June, the
contention OF these log-rolling aldermen could have
been put forward with just much strength and
Justice as it is advanced today-whch means with
none at aff-aud the citizUus or the fenth ward
could have been deprived of representation for
nearly eleven or twelve months, instead OF as is
now proposed, for six months and over.
The question of expense is raised only as a
means of furnishing some sort of excuse for a
course known to be grevously wrong and glaringly
unjust by those who propose to follow it.
Normally, the Tenth ward is Democratic, over
whelmngly so. 1t has been represented in the
board OF aldermen for some years by Republican
because OF dissensons and factonal differences in
the ranks of the Democracy If these dissensons
and differences still existed, the board OF aldermen
would ere this have ordered a special election.
But they do not exist. The Democracy OF
the Tenth ward is now a body harmonious and
militant No longer is it divided against itself,
but united and resolute in its determination to
uphold its own principles and support its own
candidates.
Peanut politicians at the city hall aware
of the change that has taken place. They realize
that united Tenth ward Democracy means Dem
ocratic representation of the Tenth ward in the
board of aldermen.
They are hostile to the calling OF a special
election because they convinced the inevitable
result would be the election OF Democrat. Mar
row partisanship, therefore, is the real reason for
the outrageous proposal to leave the largest ward
in the city wholly without representation for more
than half year.
This outrage may be perpetrated. 1t is
within the power OF partisan ma ority in the
board of aldermen to thus punish the Democracy
Of the Tenth ward for its return to sanity and to
loyalty to party principles but if it is perpetraed,
If such an unrgheous penalty is imposed, let those
responsible not deceive themselves with the
thought that they escape the whrlwnd of dis
aser that will be the fruit of the seed of scandalous
;nu they arr sowing