Providence Morning Star

The Pawtucket people needn't be surprised that a committee of the Providence Council devoted itself to abusing the Press. The chain of argument is this: If it can be proved that the Press is venal, corrupt and unreliable, it follows that the Cornish engine is a mechanical and financial success, and that J. Herbert Shedd is a competent engineer; now, since the Press antagonizes the Shedd system, of course it sins against great light; since it sins against great light of course it has a motive; the motive for sinning against great light must be a corrupt motive; the result of a corrupt motive must be corrupt action: therefore, the Press is venal, corrupt and unreliable and J. Herbert Shedd is a competent engineer. Then it follows in due course that Mr. Shedd's plan is scientifically correct and must be adopted, whatever the Pawtucket Town Council, the city charter, or the General Assembly, may say to the contrary. There are, we notice, here and there through our sister town, obstinate and conceited persons who claim that the interest of that town is really the point to be considered, but this is obviously wrong. Something of the kind may come in later, but not now. The main thing is to get the thriving industries of Pawtucket fairly under the yoke of our elephant, and the interests of the town may be rearranged convenient. The first step to that end is to get the utterances of these columns discredited. and that, probably, Pawtucket people have lost their composure.