Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-23
Friday. March 28. 1883.
AS MIR. sPRAGUE LOOKS AT TT.

AS MIR. SPRAGUE LOOKS AT TIT.
 The political contest in Rhode Island grows more and more interesting. The prospect be said to be very good, but he and his sup porters evidently ''mean business"
 It is perhaps worth while to notice how the affair appears to MT. Sprague. who has been interviewed and has talked very freely, and in @ manner which indicates that he is not the mental wreck which some of his op- ponents have called him. He says the nomi- nation was not sought by him, but that he has been brought back into political life by circumstances. He calls the movement which has resulted in his nomination. an opposition to ring rule which has long been felt. According to him the ring in Rhode Island is the government of the State. The governor, who usually gets his place by psr- mission of that ring, is powerless. The Constitution gives him no power to veto the acts of the legislature, and he can only exer- else the pardoning power with the advice and consent of the senate. As the ring also die tates the selection of senators and represen- tatives in the general assembly, all power in the State is centred in and issues from the office of the ring in Providence. Providence is Rhode Island. All the wealth and power are there. The people and the towns outside of it are mere convenient instruments in the hands of the central ring.
 This ring, MT. sprague thinks, has been hostile to him since 1869. He says When my business was disturbed and was threat ened with trouble the ring did every thing to increase my embarrassment. When I was finally down the ring neglected no opportu- nifty to make my fall final. It was represent ed by some of the ring men that Sprague's restoration in business would be the signal for his return to political life and power. When the anti-ring contest took shape, the men who gave it shape thought that as had been conspicuous victim of ring oppression it would be appropriate to stand me up as the representative of those who desired to see an end of odious system of boss rule. There is some talk of sympathy with me which I don't like. It may amount to that feeling which all men have for the under dog, but nothing more.
 MT. Sprague says he has not dollar to spend and that if the anti-ring ticket is to win it must win without the use of money. Governor Butler, he supposes, has offered his services because of apersonal interest in him, and because he is interested in breaking down the Rhode Island ring as he did that in his own State. General Pryor will, says Mr. Sprague, 'speak with full kneNledge of the desperate efforts the ring has made not only to ruin me, but to obtain possession of the property sacrificed to satisfy my creditors"
 It will be seen by the above that Mir. Sprague's platform is not very broad one He exhibits too much personal feeling, and, as the Providence Journal well says, he ''does not pretend that there is imbeeility or cor ruption in the management of State affairs hs does not present himself for the suff frages of the people on the ground that he is wiser than others he does not promise to effect any beneficial change in the administration he exhibits no new, larger or more equitable policy of government. He simply says: T wish to be Governor /"