The Republican journal., 1886-06-10

| being distributed in our Schoo-roomS, and
| have from the new law added to our statutes.
| five can begin back far enough to rear genera
| tions that will not use nor countenance the
abuse of liquors, then we shall have communi-
ties before whom rumsellers will tremble.
With none to buy, none will be found to sell.
Until such happy condition of affairs exists,
let us control the traffic and diminish the misery
it entails in the most effective manner.
But the second act of our Temperance Drama
was to receive attention. When lowered the
| curtain at close Of the first. it was with the
suggestion that keen intelects were seeking to
have an injunction placed upon counting the
votes and the Governors official proclamation.
The attempt to force new election has so far
mscarried. True the question of invaldatiug
the prohibiory amendment is still pending in
the Supreme Court. The complanantS are
owners of property of great value erected
under authority of the laws Of this state. which
they claim has been greatly injured by the
constitutional amendment, If the same has
been legally adopted" Little danger is apprc-
hended from the decisions of the Court on this
and other contested points. The second act
commenced one week ago to-day when the
General Assembly met for its annual session at
Newport. Custom is great thing: and rs we
have long had two capitals. each must have Il
session of the Legislature within its borders.
All who voted on the amendment to our Con-
>titution saw. if they read their ballots. that
the members of the Assembly to be ut the
same time elected We're to provide by law for
carrying prohibition into effect. 1t was plainly
so printed on each ticket. and had been 50
advertised for weeks in advance in newspapers
in each town ana county. This gave ample
notice what kind of men TO select for the pur-
pose. The approaching 600 in excess of a
three-tifthS majority enormously called '1600'
in my previous communication of voters did
their duty. and the Assembly rapidly passed a
long and stringent law similar to the one have
previously outlined. twas in fact a compilation
of previous laws favorng suppression of inen-
perance. to which Were added supposed I'M
provcmentS and augmented penalties. They
also created twelve district courts comprising
the entire commonwealth. to be presided over
by rs many district judges. seven of whom
they generously selected from their own num-
bers. Then came Il piece of legislation from
which friends of temperance may we'll avert
their faccS-the establishment of Il constabularv
system. and election of a Chief Constable to
serve for three wears at $4,000 per annum.
Attempts to reduce the salary We're frlIitle>S
Necessary expenses are also TO be allowed
the Chief. No wonder that in clccting this
officer the ballot was rt>ortrd to rather than
rir0 r"cc methods. Perhaps it WAS fore>een
that ii would not be best to go ON record in
such Il transaction. The advantages of Il State
Con>tabulary have yet to be proved. 1t has
not been advantageous in some surrounding
states. Paper, in Boston, New York and other
cities are derding the step taken by our
Assembly As i'll backward direction and sure
to Yield pcrniciouS results. Concerning il the
Boston Advertiser has this to say
at starts at the very place where MaS>achu-
>rtt> dropped the experiment :ls 4 failure.
The melancholy experience Of prohibition i'll
this state extended over period Of - wears.
during which time we reached by successive
>tc the point from which Rhode Island now
takes its new departure. In the course of
three years We learned that the cndeavor to
enforce Il prohibitory law involved a constant
increase of the penalty for its violation. and an
equally steady strengthening of the means for
its execution. Both logic ana sentiment de-
mandcd that course. and it was pursued. con-
scientiou>ly, until both the law and the extra
ordinary instruments created for il cnfurcc-
mcnt We're SET aside together. 1t is unlikely
that Rhode Island will have better success in
tn" enforcement OF prohibition than other
States have cnioYrd
1t is true that before the gathering of the
Assembly ut Newport active means We're cnl-
ploycd 10 draw out opinions from leading pro-
hibituni>tS is to the best measures that might
be adopted to enforce the new law. Ii seems Il
little significant that those who had argued 50
strenuou>ly for the amendment proved so bar
rem of cNpedient> to make it effective when
closely questioned Nearly all of them appear
to have been 50 attentive to other matters as
not to have we'll considered the subject The
jubilee of victory had been held while the bat
tie had only just hegun-not ended Getting
the required majority to vote for the law was
mere child'> play to what is now before lis.
Left to themselves our representatives in the
Legislature acted a. they saw tit. When their
work was done prohibtory leaders We're no
longer apathetc. With few exceptions tenn
perance people throughout the State held up
their hands in Nirtuous Indignation at the
choice made of Chief Con>table-G General ChaS.
r. Brayton. Though know the man per-
>onaliy. and have as a newspaper publisher
had most unsatisfactory dealings with him, |
have one thing TO say in his favor-he was Il
%oo. soldier and made an excellent war record.
Beyond this will quote from those who know
him better. and of these perhaps the conduc-
tors Of the Providence Journal are most COM
petent to speak, as they are of the same poiti-
cal household of faith. 'lhe following are
among some of the points printed concerning
Gen. Brayton i'll All article headed The States
Disgrace" which appeared in the Journals
columns Nav %:
The General Assembly has elected Charles
X. Brayton to be Chief Constable of the State,
with special duties to enforce the law for the
suppression of intemperance. \ more tagrant
violation of all sense of dccency aud fitness
never occurred in the state Of Rhode Island,
nor any other State. Every one knows
that when postmaster of the city of Providence
he was defaulter in Il sum exceeding $3o,OOO.
that lie resigned to avoid dismissal. and that
this dctatcation had to be made good from the
pockets of those who, in friendship and trust.
gave bonds for his honesty and good behavior.
For years before and after the discovery
OF his crime he has been notorious rs the agent
of corruption in politics. i Since his loss
Of office he has had no other visible means of
support than that which has come from cor
ruption and the sale of his influence to the
knaves and fools that would buy it. All this
has been as notorious as the noon-tlay. and he
has made no secret of it any more than if it
was an honorable trade. We have pre-