The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-01-17
THURSDAY, JANUARY II, 1907.
MR.. HOGAN'S WARNING.

Conditions are indeed seandalous at the state
house, as Representative Hogan declared last night
in the of his address before the Tilden club,
and decent citizens of Rhode Island will be gratfed
to learn that the member from Providence proposes,
unless the discredted and reprobated boss takes
himself and his degrading practices out of the capi-
tol, to demand the impeachment of the sheriff of
Providence county for permitting the use of his
office for such mischevous purposes.
Mr.. Hogan is entirely right in asserting that il
it quite improper and ndefensible for the sheriff
OF Providence county to allow brazen and brow
beating boss TO carry on his outrageous manfpula-
tions in the sheriff office as il would be for him to
permit there the playing of poker or faro. Indeed,
these games of chance would be far less demoraliz
ing than is the game OF political debauchery that is
continually played there to the disgust and shame
of the reputable and right-thnkine people of the
commonwealth.
The boss does not 60 to the state house as a
private citizen His presence. there is not in the in
terest OF the public but in the interest of ndividu
ais and corporations who employ him to advance
their selfish and sinister schemes and to throttle
measures for the public good.
His presefce there is fragrant affront to
dccency and persistent menace to the rights of the
people who by their votes last November made it
plain that they want him and his jugglery and job
berry thrust out and kept out of the state capitol
They have not changed their attitude an iota
since their will was formally recorded and the nso-
lcnCc and mpudence OF the boss in again establish
irg himself and his auction outfit in the sheriff S
Office only increases the Of their wrath and
makes stronger than ever their determination to rid
the capitol of person and of practices that pol
luting and pestent.
If the sheriff of Providence county were more
servant of the people who pay him and less the
supine creature of the boss, such scandalous
dition would have developed, and there would be
need neither of threat of impeachment nor of any
other proceeding TO compel the sheriff TO permit the
use OF his Office only for proper and legitimate
public purposes.
1t may be the sheriff does not dare do what is
his plain and imperative duty lest he offend the boss
to whom he owes the fat snecures he has enjoyed
for many years. If that be the his blind alleg-
the people, and the legislature would be fully just-
fed in summarily ousting him from office
Is it probable that with a, ma jority still dom-
mated by the boss, the general assembly would
punish the sheriff he deserves to be punished for
the evil to which he allows his office to be put
Not at all. The boss who made the sheriff is
yet able TO protect him through his mischievous
control of the majority.
Nevertheless, Mr. Hogan will have full warrant
for any step he may take to secure chastisement
of the sheriff for allowing the prostitution Of his
office to the malefc of past master Of Chi
cane and trickery.
Even though a partisan and servile majority
refuses to do its duty in the matter, the discussion
will bring home to the people with greater force
than ever the scandal and outrage of present con-
dtions, and will insure the election of general
assembly next November that will not only kick
the boss from the capitol but will thrust out at the
same time in contumely and disgrace the sheriff
who now furnishes the boss quarters in which TO
carry his traffic in the votes OF legislators and in
the laws OF sovereign state.