The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-10-20
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Democratic Misrule and Republican Re-
form in Scituate.

As a result, the town property went to
decay, the bridges rotted away, the
schools were generally neglected, the
money appropriated for school purposes
even being diverted to other uses, and
the town debt was increasing many thou
sand dollars every year. And the town
officials were generally neglecting their
duties and delegating them to irresponsi-
BILE persons. The town records were neg
lected, even the doings of the Town
Council and the DEGREES of the Probate
Court were not recorded. The votes OF
the financial town meetings were utterly
disregarded and appropriations misused.
There were no checks on those RESPONSE
bic for the handling Of the town money.
Often it happened that they were not
even bonded. BY the spring Of 1912 the
| Democratic government of the town OF
Scituate was morally and financially
bankrupt. But the worst was yet TO
| come. In the election of May, 1912, a
determined effort was made to break UP
this misrulc and some Of the opposition
| candidates were elected. These Repub-
licans were promptly and deliberately
counted out by the Democratic Town
Council. The case was taken to the
Supreme Court of Rhode Island and the
| Republicans were reinstated in their
Offices. And the court found the action
of the Town Council most reprehens-
| ble."
With these Republicans reinstated,
there was not enough of the opposition
to break up the ring. Misrule went to
the limit. In the spring of 1913 the
| town debt was several thousand dollars
| beyond the limit established by the
| Legislature. The officials could not Dor
row more money and many OF the notes
issued we're not legal.
There were orders amounting to near
| ly $4,000 which the town could not pay.
| The school teachers were unpaid, pupils
were without books and supplies, and
| finally the schools were closed. And they
| were only opened where private subscrip-
tions were raised to pay the teachers and
furnish supplies. And, finally, it was
| discovered that the town had been sys-
tematically robbed of many thousands
| of dollars.
A more determined effort was made
by the Republicans i'll the spring of 1913
and their candidates won, but not with.
out strong opposition. The names OF
some 20 Republican voters were illegally
removed from the voting list shortly
before election-removed because they
were Republicans, a most glaring in
stance of disfranChisement. And after
the final canvass of the voting list by
the Board of Canvassers, the names OF
several Democrats were illegally added
t, hn Let hY hn ,T Of
the town officials. Yet, in spite of every
effort, the Democrats were defeated.
The new government set about 10 re-
deem the town. 1t was necessarily a
slow task because of existing financial
conditions and the ill-repute in which
the town was held. The schools were
cared for first of ALL the teachers were
paid; the necessary books and supplies
furnished, and finally the houses were
cleaned and repaired. The financial tan
gle was unraveled Systems of accounts
were established; checks were placed
upon town officers responsible for funds;
bonds were required. The Town Treas
urer set about to reduce the town debt
without increasing the tax rate. 1t was
accomplished. Since June, 1913, the town
debt has been reduced by nearly $4,000
with a dollar tax, and the different de-
partments have not suffered from lack
of funds. The taxes have been collected.
In the spring of 1913 there were some
$4,000 in back taxes reported by the
Town Treasurer as uncollected, and most
of these had been lost because of the
failure of the Tax Collector to collect
them within the prescribed time To-
day the uncollected back taxes do not
amount TO more than $l700.
The town farm was rehabilitated and
made to yield an income Kitchen bar
rooms were eliminated, club licenses were
no longer granted, houses of ill-repute
disappeared In every department of
the government efficiency was intro
duced. Everywhere there was marked
improvement. This is the record of three
years of constructive Republican govern
ment in Scituate. Contrast it with the
results of 20 years of Democratic mis-
rule.
Some of those responsible for this mis-
government have left; few remain.
Some of these are yainly attempting to
regain their power to pursue their old
course. Their promises are the opposite
of their intentions. They are seeking to
help their cause by covering their past
with mantle of virtue. They are
doomed The voters of Scituate will con-
tinue the Republican government which
has done so much for Scituate in three
years. They will vote for the Republi.
can government which is prepared to
wipe out the town debt, is planning new
schools with modern improvements, is
working for modern highways, and is
striving in every way to make Scituate
we'll governed, wholesome and attrac.
tive place in which TO live.
DANIEL A. CLARKE, 3rd.