The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-28

There is a State election on next We'd
nesday. The Republican party has put
up particularly strong candidate for
Governor, and has re-nominated the
balance Of the State officers now on deck
The candidates stand on platform that
is national in its scope, as IT should be,
broad. business-like, patriotic.
The Democratic party has also, be-
cause of the traditional necessity, put up
ticket. Except for the head Of it we
we will bet a piece of colonial
scrip against lead nickel that no one
not most intimately associated with
politics can name the ticket in full,
although there are only five names on it
and they are all gentlemen of an esti-
mable sort. These candidates are
standing on platform that has
just three planks-one rededicat-
ing the local Democracy to the
fundamental principles, etc., etc.; one
demanding constitutional convention
the same being familiar war cry to
our fathers before us; and one protesting
against the bill for an amendment to
the constitution providing for biennial
elections.
1t is on this last plank chiefly that the
local Democracy is particularly anxious
to fight somebody. The biennial propo-
81 tion has in it a section proviling that
If cities wish it the Assembly may grant
them authority to elect their Assembly
men by wards instead of in a lump.
Thus Democratic wards would prob
ably always choose Democratic
Assemblymen while Republican
wards would as probably elect
Republican Assemblymen instead Of an
entire city delegation being of one polit-
ical stripe or the other, according to the
plurality in the popular vote.
Now, some of the Democrats are try
ing to stir up interest in their campaign
by assailing this provision for apportion-
ment. The Democratic press all over
the State is firing away at the biennial
elections bill with much warmth and
vigor. OF course the bill is neither to be
passed nor rejected on the day Of the
forthcoming election. 1t will be the
duty of the incoming Assembly to offer
the bill to popular vote, when all those
Democrats who live in Democratic
wards, and see in the provisions of
the bill certain chance of electing
their candidates every year, will vote
against the advice of their leaders,
accordingly.
But why talk about this matter now {?
So far as the opposition to the biennial
bill is due to the fact that the De-
mocracy had to have something to pitch
into, we could pardon it if it We're only
timely. But the Democratic party has
no earthly show for securing a majority
in the next General Assembly, and if
they did they ought to be liberal enough
to give the people chance to vote
on the biennial bill-nothing short
of that would be at all good Democratic
doctrine. The biennial elections bill is
only remote issue in the campaign.
and it is too bad for its opponents to dis
pose of so much caloric in opposing it at
this time.
We are moved to these remarks, more
of sorrow than of anger, by the attempt
on the part of the Democracy to inveigh
against the Republican press because
the latter cannot be got to discuss the
biennial bill at this time. 1t
is good generalship to make
your enemy fight you on the ground you
have selected yourself, and if he re.
fuses to fight your chagrin is natural.
The Republican party isn't going to
waste any breath talking about this
biennial elections bill, which has about as
little to do with the campaign as Colonel
FRANKLIN PIERCE OWEN has so far had.
AS a matter of fact the issue, when it
comes before the people, is not likely to
be entirely an issue between parties,
though undou btedly most Republi-
cans will support it as a good
party measure and because the Repub-
lican party is always the party of
progress and most Democrats will
oppose it because the Democracy is
always the party of obstruction. But
there will be some Republicans who will
in all probability oppose the measure
and undoubtedly Democrats living in
Democratic wards will be inclined to
support it. These questions that come
before the people are rarely sustained or
opposed on strict party lines.
But what folly it is for the much dis
gusted Democracy TO prattle about the
being afraid of the biennial
elections issue. simply because they de-
cline to consider it an issue of any i'm
portance in this campaign. How alb
surd it is, for instance, for our usually
level-headed friend, the Pawtucket
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