The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-22
POLITICAL wEcCENTR|CITY.
The Sort That Still Prevails in Rhode
Island Brought Into
Prominence.
How the Republicans Are Enabled
to Thwart the Peoples
vii.
The Democrats Expect to Control tho Ncxt
Grand Com mittce and Chose
tho state OficcrA

NEWPORT, r. L., May 21.-The result OF
the election in North Smithfield. where the
repub,scans elected q senator. onig eompli-
Gates the situation In this state and gives
further assurance that the proceedings in
the Grand COMMITTEES on the Both will DO OF
the ~liveliest character. AT the general
state election held on April b, the demo-
cratic candidate for governor. David T.
Baker, Jr.. OF Providence. obtained a pln-
ralitv of $50 over Gov. u. Russell Brown,
of Providence. and Charles 4. Bennett tho
republican candidate for secretary OF stAte'
one Of the most popular men in the state
1900 over his democratic competitor, John
J. H~effernan. of Woonsocket.
Neither Mr.. Baker nor Mr.. Bennett re-
eeived a majority Of nil the votes cast. nor
did any of the candidates. for that matter
and therefore the result OF the election
will be decided by the grand COMMITTEES,
which. under the constitution. ASSEMBLIES at
Newport on the 30th. Ih republicans
now claim the control of the grand com
mittce. which consists OF 10S members. e1-
clusiyc of the Lieutenant governo', who
ia authorized to vote on overy matter. and
the governor, who is president of the sem
ate and of the grand committee. The
governor, however, is only permitted to
vote when there is q tie. Another Of tho
idiosync,asies of this commonwealth 10
shat every one of the thirty-six towns IN
the state, big or little, 10 entitled to a SEN
tor. The house of representatives is COM
posed of sevcnty-two members. Tho re-
grand committee-a majority. The demo-
Gratis c,nim Fifty and grant their opponents
According to the best authority the fol-
lowing is q correct summary OF all the
members Of the grand committee, who have
received certificates. independens OF the
claims of the republican hold-overs, men
holding Office because OF the failure OF cleo
tons in certain dist
DEMOCRATS. REPUBLICANS.
Senate. ............l Senate ..............O
House aouse ...............26
sol Total ..............46
INDEPENDENT.
Vacancies. il.
The decision rendered by the supreme
court on Friday in the South kinRstown
case renders now elections necessary In the
following towns: South Kingstown. for n
senator and representatives; kichmond. for
q senator and a Representatives, and Wes-
terly. for q representative.
With tho meeting OF the grand commit
tee only two weeks distant. and with the
uncertainty of tue result and the possibil-
ity that no election will be held in many of
the districts by the failure OF any one of
the candidates to obtain the constitutional
majority, the republican hold-overs will
control the situation. and the republican
candidates for the state Offices, including
Governor Brown. who fell $50 votes behind
his democratic competitor. ere likely TO be
declared elected.
The chances of additional complications
are not only possible. but probable. For
instance, the most aggressive democratic
leaders declare that as their party controls
the house everyone of the republican hold
overs will be unseated. The republicans
hurl back q retaiiatory threat, and assert
that their senators will then refuse to en-
ter the grand committee. that no election
can then be possible. and the republican
state officers now in power will hold over
for another year. The 0~rotesqueness of
such a condition can only be understood
when it is learned that only two Of the five
p esent state officers were on the Ap il
ticket-Gov. Brown and State Treasurer
Clark.
On the other hand. the democrats, con-
fident of controlling the grand committee,
appear to be u%nmindful of republican
threats, and assert that when tho time for
voting comes the republicans will receive
. series of surprises and shocks.
lue OemOCIRtb Dhs6 tnelr pt6tenSlOn6 on
the following facts: Two republican sents.
of o senator and of a representative f ON
East Greenwich. are contested on TIE
ground OF bribery. The democrats are Ger
tain that the charges can be sustained, and
that both claimants WILL DO unBsated. Tho
independent senator from jamestown,
Thomas Carr Watson. hes not expressed
his choice. but 10 confidently rallied upon to
vote with the democrats. as it is u we'll
known fact that Col. samuel i. Honey. of
this city, the national democratic COM
mitteeman from this state. and the most
restless and energetic politician in Rhode
Island. assisted Mr.. Watson in his election
materially.
Out of the eleven vacan cies the democrats
claim that they elected one representative
who Was not allowed to get his certificate.
This case ia one of the NEST interesting that
has grown out of the ado ton of the Aus.
tralian ballot law. With all her many po-
Utica! eccentricities, Rhode Island, in one
OF the few spasms Of progress that has
seized her during recent years, followed
Massachusetts, in ballot reform. H~r law
to-day is one of the best in the Unitel
States, and the blanket ballot is pronounced
by representatives of all parties far superior
to New Works. corrupt system of voting.
Republicans and democrats express their
judgment that undo it bribery and co.iup-
t!0n are reduced to q minimum.