The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-07
THE RHODE ISLAND sENATORsHIP

The spring campaign in Rhode Island
is as usual to be opened by the Repub-
licans with aggressive activity on
basis of living issues. 1t involves this
year national as well as local issues, be-
cause the General Assembly which
meets in May is to elect "A successor to
United States Senator Nathan If.
Dixon, who is now completing
the unexpired term of Senator
Jonathan Chace. Locally the citizens
Of the State will be called upon to in
dorse the Republican State administra-
ton. For peculiar and extraordinary
reasons both the local and national issues
command unprecedented interest and
will bring TO the support Of the Repub-
lican party the full strength of its con-
stituency and big share Of the electo-
rate of both parties.
Immediately, it is the Senatorial issue
that is strongly in evidence. The pecu-
liarly personal element which has entered
into the Republican position in its con-
test with bumptious Democratic revolu-
tionists makes the present Chief Ex-
ecutive of Rhode Island the logical
candidate of the convention which meets
on the fifteenth, for the Governor
ship, providing Governor Brown
is willing to accept for another year the
duties which for two terms he has per
formed with so much of vigor and
earnestness and capacity. The Senator
ship however, becomes a matter Of inn
mediate interest because the question of
a successor to Senator Dixon has not
been taken altogether as a matter of
course and it is a question that may
not be finally settle until the General
Assembly meets.
Contrary to a much glorified principle
of the local Democracy, inaugurated
with great footing of trumpets, to
have their State convention suggest
their Senatorial candidate for the peo-
| pies Interest," principle, by the way,
which was, like most Democrutic prin-
ciples, not put into operation when the
time came for actually doing so-the
Republican party has not been in the
habit of picking out its Senatorial candi-
date in advance. This year, however, as
in past years some one figure has natur-
ally stood out prominently as a logical
candidate among those mentioned,
and this year, Judging from the popular
| oil hn or
Hon. George Peabody Wetmore, one of
the best Governors Rhode Island ever had
has seemed to be that logical candidate.
This did not mean that the members
elect to the General Assembly would be
| pledged to vote for Ex-Governor Wet
more nor that the Senatorship could
be decided before the meeting Of the
Assembly. Other candidates would be
likely to spring up each with follow
ing of admirers and supporters and the
rule Of the majority would decide the
| final party verdict Indeed, already
several such other possible candidates
have been mentioned, including Governor
Brown, Ex-Governor Ladd, Hon. War
rem O. Arnold and chiefly Mr.. William
Ct. Rocker, and Mr.. Rockers candidacy
became so strong that he had come to
be regarded as the chief competitor of
Ex-Governor Wetmore, fact which
has given the esteemed contemporaries
of THE News opportunity for indul-
gence in considerable premature
political gossip, the reading of which
has doubtless been source Of amuse-
ment to their respective proofreaders.
Then Mr.. Wetmore's candidacy got so
far advanced that he became the first
choice of the Republican State Central
Committee as the immediate represen-
tative of the party in the State, and his
friends proceeded to set up head
quarters, while Mr.. Rocker has rap
idly assembled about himself an en-
thusiastic body of loyal supporters.
The Republican party is, however,
solid. and united as never before and
when late yesterday afternoon Mr..
Rocker announced TO his friends his
desire to have his name with
drawn ias Senatorial candidate
he took from the foes of his party their
only weapon and last faint hope of Demo.
cratic success and left them 10 chew the
bitter cud OF the morsel which they have
mouthed with such JUNCTION the past few
days.
Mr.. Rockers letter of withdrawal is
of course manly one. II has the right
ring TO it. Mr.. Roelker declared that
he allowed the use of his name because
he understood he was TO be the only
candidate, but when he learned that a
distinguished gentleman for whom he
had the highest regard had announced
his candidacy he desired TO withdraw
because contest at this time between
Republicans would breed strife and
greatly itnparil tho success of tho marty