The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-20
HAS HIS WAR PAINT ON.
Chief Supervisor Blodgett will See
Fair Play or Know Why.
He WILL NOT BE BULlDOzED
The Attempt of the Democrats to Bully
Him or Assign False and Unworthy
Motives for His Acts will Not In
fiuence Him at All.


for some pretty hard knocks on account
of the publication OF the voting lists OF
the state, which work he proposes to be-
gin q week from tomorrow. and which Is
expected to materially reduce the num-
ber of registry voters, shut out many
who have been supposed to be qualified
by naturalization. and eliminate scores
who have been voting upon real estate
Interests In which they long ago forfeited
Q ither through sales or transfers.
Mr.. Blodgett is accused Of attempting
a w holesale disfranchisement Of the reg
tstry voters, and he is he'd strictly ac-
countable in some quarters Tor the bills
which were introduced in the Legislature
this month, and for one or two more that
are to come, all of which VIII nave a
market bearing upon the future cleo
tions in this state
1t has also been charged that these
acts were evolved by the Republican
committee of the judiciary in the House
of Representatives, and that they were
drafted at the request OF Mr.. Blodgett
This is not correct, although certain
things which have transpired at the
state house would seem to point 10 the
contrary of this assertion.
Representative Il. III. Wilson has taken
the matter up and has introduced bills
to correct the disgraceful condition re-
vealed by Supervisor Blodgett. OF course
the Democrats allege that IL is party
move, and that Mr. Blodgett is "a copy of
John /. Davenport. They are alleging
that the laws which are TO be enacted are
unconstitutional, in that hey conflict
with the provisions of the Bourne amend
menu. by which the franchise was re-
lieyed of many of the obsrructing features
which had surrounded it for years, and
that every name tnat had been registered
for 1898 must stand upon the lists IL the
opinion of the Supreme Court Is worth
anything in its construction of the mean
ing and intent OF the Bourne amendment.
Mr.. Blodgett was seen by a reporter
about this matter. He spoke vigorously.
liSsis Republican appointee and Is
running right Into Democratic adm in
istration; but mis- tenure OF Office cannvU
be abridged for party reasons. and only
for cause which must be Of a fiagrans
nature.
He said that the Bourne amendment
and the ruling of the supreme court
would not stop the work of purging the
voling lists. That amendment gave 10
certain classes OF cltlzens the rlght 10
vote for general officers upon their COM
pliance with certain conditions The
statutes onlv provide a method OF ascer-
tainlHg tnat these conditions have been
compl ell with, aud these conditions are
in the amendment itself.
gress in April would be cast according to
law, anu in no other way, and there
might rs we'll be an understanding upon
that point now as well as q month from
now.
Acting upon that determination he had
Sci his nlen to work as soon as the regis-
tration books had been closed the last
day OF last year, and they had already
sent into HIM the name or every man who
might possibly be qualified 10 vote In 1898
upon tue registry list.
The necessity Tor this supervision was
apparent. SO Mr.. Blodgett said, by what
was found in single district in ole ward
in WoousOcket. There were lao out of 2o0
registered voters who were Of foreign
birth. OF these 40. 81 had not. according
10 the records, nIaae any declaration cou-
cerning their naturalza ION. They had
not said when, where or by what court
they had Teen na uralized. If at all, and
aohe OF them had a right TO vote until
hey proved their citizenship to the salts
faction oil the deputies Not one of them
will vote, SAID he, unless they can pro-
dfice their naturalization papers, because
nobody had knowledge tLat they had
ever filed a declaration OF intent of be-
coming American citiZons.
L. was evident from what his deputies
had ALREADY gathered in the several sec
tious OF he S,a that there had been
many who had gone up TO the CLERKS
who mad been accepted as such a.id their
names registered without any questions
being asked oil them CONCERNING their
right to vote.
Under the present lame law the clerks
could not have refused To register them
IL they had refused To show tnelr papers.
He would not nave advised the clerks 20
refuse the registration. l. would not have
been legal o. tue part of the clerks,
aud those VINO had refused 10 register,
and there had been quite mum
Der OF such Instances had done SO upon
their own responsibility, and were not
warranted by law Had there been the
law upon the statute book such as l.
proposed by Mr.. Wilson, and such one
as the Republicans Intended to pass
none OF these qu st.onable registrations
would have becn pOssi le.
The bad STATE OF affairs which were
found in that one district were not much
worse than were discovered elsewhere
There would be good many, said Mr.
BlOdgett, who were expecting TO vote In
this city this year, and who had regis
tered Tor tnat purpose They could
They had taken out their first
papers I'm lSsS, and there were nc
records that tney ever tempted to
take out their second papers. Tney had
apparently been voting fraudulehtly. and
proposed TO continue TO do so. and they
were enjoying the franchise winch q, hers
their fellow countrymen, had fought aud
worked for and obtained. some by defend
ing the country la her peril. aud some by
hard work In the accumulation of propert,
and a strict observance of the law which
required certain number OF years resi-
dence. The latter won the rignl To vote
the former had illegally AIKEN the riVhi
aud having once been permitted 60 vot,
fradulently by the connivance OF elec
tlons officers, were not going TO th,
bother and expense of taking out theit
second and final papers.
Mr. Blodgett said that he had the regis
try lists down so pat that when his mel
got TO work there could not be a sinQi,
. name added TO or dropped from any H.
In any part of the state without nj
knowledge and without an explanation
being demBnded aud one forthcominl
from the individual who mads IN
change. Before the election day ever
voting list Ia the state would be canvasse
In the presence OF his deputies and
corrected list sent TO him. Dupica Is q
these corrected lists would be placed 4
the hands OF his deputies, who would b
instructed % challenge every Que of tb
names which had b zen questioned in th,
canvass meetings, and % see that non
A