The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-19

dress delivered by the Hon. George ri.
Utter. OF Westerly. former secretary OF
state, at the Bethel A. M. T.. church IN
this city on the evening OF June nth
IL was strange and curious from the fact
that IL was an attempt at an apology
for the local Republican organization.
not by denying the facts as 20 the rule
OF the boss. the prevalence OF bribery
at elections. and the necessity OF con-
stitutional reform, but IL excused all the
existing evils on the ground that they
had been overstated. The speaker then
went on 10 make use of a favorite method
pursued by one who has a poor argument
namely TO abuse the opposition. In this
instance, however. he evidently repented
somewhat. for after assailing Governor
Garvin's motives and his honesty, MT
L tier is reported to have uttered the
prayer: God pity him" Coming from
the ex-secretary OF state, this is re-
markable utterance. He has always
been regarded as a man Of much higher
character than many OF the machine
politicians, and for him 10 descend 10
such wishy- washy and ridiculous aryu-
ments is a surprise 10 men OF all parties
and TO his friends I'm ali walks In life. or
whom j have always considered myself
one. who have believed that he was a
broadminded. intelligent and generous
spirited man. We can scarcely continue
TO hole this opinion in view OF such a
weak. boysh and ridiculous argument.
characterized by so much partizan ram
cor.
Mr.. Utter opened his address with an
apology for the state boss. He sad we
have here a pretty good boss-ship."
and that consequently the question as
to the rule OF the boss is not a serious
one. Some OF his friends have inclined
ID the opinion that Mr.. Utter was jok-
ins when he made this assertion. In
view of the known fact Il is somewhat
difficult TO determine what he did mean.
Pretty good boss-ship' he says. but
we may inquire. for whose good his boss
ship operated.
MUST KNOW CONDITIONS.
Mr. Utter did not believe that there was
much political corruption In the state.
and yet he must know that rotten condi-
tions exist Here again he does not at
tempt TO deny but TO apologize. lie makes
use OF another favorite method of ex-
cuslng wrong doeT, namely TO show
how the accused in the part accomplish
ed lot OF good. Such an argument has
nothing 10 do with the case. He accused
those who were bringing forward these
accusations OF bribery, boss-ship and
Doodle OF smirching the fair fame OF the
state In order To make this point appear
as III he had proved IL he INDUCED in a
lot OF spread eagle rhetoric about Roger
Williams and the Revolutionary war.
matters about which all Rhode Islanders
and all American citizens are proud. but
which had no application in excusng
bossism and political immortality in
Rhode Island
Because Roger williams inaugurated
soul liberty I'm Providence more than two
centuries and half ago Is no reason
why we should submit TO the rule OF n
political boss at present. Yet that is sub
stantially Mr.. Utter's argument
Not content with this left-handed ap-
peal TO history, Mr. Utter attempted TO
discuss constitutional reform and he re-
hashed the wornout talk about the i'm
possibility OF holding a constitutional
convention because the supreme court
had given an advisory opinion against IL
Mr.. Utter ought TO know and probably
does that no intelligent student OF our
constitution now considers that opinion
an obstacle In the way OF holding a con-
stitutional convention the people get
stftutional convention when the people
set ready to have one.
What the Republican party had accom-
plished for the state was one OF the main
points OF Mr.. Utter's discourse, but as
the report did not specify the particulars.
II is difficult to tell what things he
meant. We do know that practically un-
interrupted Republican rule for genera
tions has placed the state TO such an ex-
tent under the domination of a boss that
all our public franchises I'm the streets
have been given away; that the corpora
tions now owning these franchises have
been intrenched by the passage OF ire
pealable laws To such an extent that they
and their friends believe they have ac-
quired perpetual rights in our streets on
present conditions. An unequal system OF
representation together with restrictions
on the suffrage has enabled the boss to
bring about these results.