New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-01
THE RECORD OF FIFTY YEARS.
"REMINISCENCES OF A JOURNALIST.
BY CHARLES T. CoNGDoN.
Will
THE GREAT DORR WAR.

STATE OF AFFAIRS PREVIOUS TO THE REBELLION
THE ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLES CONSTITUTION
DIR. JOHN A. BROWN" GOVERNOR" DoRR-THE
OLD RHODE ISLAND BAI-GLNEKAL THOMAS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF DHMoCRATIC
GOVERNORS
The episodes Of history are seldom fully and ac-
curately recorded: yet in history, rightly con-
sidered, there is no episode. The Rhode Island he
bellion made great noise at the time, as Kansas
matters and the anarchies of i'll reconstructed
Southern States. and the more recent troubles in
Maine have since yet there is hardly anybody lett
competent to write full and fair account of events
which engaged the serious attention of the General
Government aud of the Supreme Court OF tho
United States. |, certainly am not, for have for
gottenmuch have now no opportunity OF con-
sultng authorities and that which remember IL
the picturesque. the personal, the amusing rather
than dates and the drer details. l knew more
Of The beginning of the enterprise than of the
end / bad no sympathy with its later phases. The
general fact that up 10 1913, the State OF hhode
Island had 10 Constitution. will strike those who
have the usual faith in such paper safeguards with
an astonisbmeut bordering upon incredulity. But
for two features of the Charter which were hardly
democratic the little State might have gone on
pleasantly and prosperOusly fer another century,
under that rag of royalty. In tie nineteenth cen
tury given as it is to III Ich voting, and In the
United States, which are trying on large scale the
experiment Of nearly absolute democracy, reslfc-
tons of the suffrage will always be sure TO make
many spirits uneasy and in Rhode Island the sur
frage was restricted to landowners and to their ED
est sons Ii was an odd hit of feudallsm, singular
conservation of of the rights Of promoGeniture.
Again, the legislative representation which had
been fixed by the Charter in 1868, had become SIN
gularly unequal. 1t was, indeed, one of rotten
H. wifi oVer
tants in 1910, had only representatives, while
Newport with less than 10000 inhabitants had
representatives. Towns having altogether only
10000 inhabitants and about 5000 voters
elected SO representatives. while but 81
were chosen by towns having nearly $4,000
inhabitants and nearly 5000 voters. The reader
will bear with this somewhat prosaic state
ment of the facts, because some understanding OF
them is necessary TO full comprehension OF the SIT
uation. There was anomaly and inequality enough
TO make those who wanted to vote restless and even
angry. There excellent opportunity lor
demagogues and they improved it. The supreme
authority of the State was in the Legislature and
what the composition of the Legislature was. ]
have already shown. Men in possession of political
power are rarely inclined to abandon it the Assem-
bly, therefore did really postpone necessary reform
and cling to an untmely system longer than was
wise or even prudent. The disfranchsed pettioned
it was all they could do and their petitions were
not always treated as judicousy as they should
have BEEN Once they were referred TO commit
tee. which reported against them in what still con-
slider one of the most remarkable writings OF
the kind which has ever fallen under my no.
tice 1t was written by Benjamin Hazard
hard-headed old lawyer with bottom
less contempt for political innovations and
WAS such an essay as an English Tory Of the Eldon
stamn might have Illuminated against the Re1Yrln
Bill 1t demonstrated by the best of legal logic
that popular suffrage would be undesirable, and IT
offered to the popular notions of democracy per-
feet okerdeI-deiSe of special pleading OF replica
ton. reioinder and rebutter. 1t was Of those
arguments which may feel to he all wong and
yet find il dficult to refute and when long after
| was asked TO write an answer to 1t, found the
task anything but an easy one, and did the Job
badly. There were many stories told at bar dinners
and suppers of Mr.. Hazards dOgmatc and pertina-
oious ways. One of the drollest was of his rem
contre with an antagonist for too much for
him. He had left a convivial party on q dark night
and was found soon after arguing with the town
pump Get out of my way" said he. " Move
Oh |" he reiterated what do you mean by this
disreputa5le conduct 7" Still the pump held its po-
si;ion when the irate lawyer roared: Get out OF
NY way in the name of the State of Rhode Island
and Providence PlantatiOnsp The pump was proof
against even this and his companions coming up, it
was found necessary to lead him gently to his
domicile.
The year 1910 was one of great political activity
everywhere and the contest in Rhode Island was q
particularly lively People who could not
vote more than ever envied those who could. In
desperate minority, the Democrats were anxious
for good cry. But the movement which was to
grow TO such considerable proportions had a per-
sonal and somewhat insignificant beginning
There was a DIR. John A. Brown, a botanical
physician, who supplied the people of Providence
with root beer of a pleasant and salutifegOus
Quality Browns beer in demand, and. being
of a foamy and effervescent sort, 1t may have had
something to do with the ebulltions which fol-
lowed. At any rate, when not engaged in building
mp the constitutions of his patients the Doctor was
painfully sensible that the ancient state had no
Constitution of its Own-a deficiency which, both
rs o patriot and practitioner, he ceased not to
lament He determined to start a free suffrage
agitation secondly. he resolved to emit
free suffrage newspaper; and thirdly, he
employed me to oditit. He might have done much
better if he had been able to offer little higher
wages; for engaged to conyulse Rhode Island
with the Plantations thrown in) for the modest re-
Enumeration of IS per week. trust that no reader
will be reminded of the anecdOte of the negro NM
ister. who, when told that his salary was pretty
DOOR pay" answered Yes, and pretty poor
preachee, TOO, Sar !" name wanted for the
Journal. and suggested The Nep Age as expressive
and appropriate, particularly as we proposed to
abolish the work of an age which might be consd-
.red an old one SO tho first number of the newspa-
per was issued, from a little Office which had just
about type enough to set M single edition. For
some time the public paid but limited attention 10
our denunc!ations of Charles H. and his musty old
charter; but Dr. Brown was not in the least dis
Outraged. and am sure that was not. feel that
whoever read my long dissertations upon the ma