The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-06
A Statue OF a New England Rebel.


Governor GARvIN of Rhode Island
seems to be Democrat of the extreme
modern school. That is, he believes in
direct popular government in all cases,
in instant or even tumultuary, rather
than slow legal and CONSTITUTIONAL
remedies for abuses or inequalities. In a
public address delivered in Providence
last week he said that he would like to
see the statue of THOMAS WILSON DoRR
erected in the State House. DoRR made
mistakes, but he was a great man
In an interview Mr.. GARvIN asserted
that DoRR was a patriot, inspired
by patriotic motives. although he made
mistakes y; that the present Rhode
Island Constitution is due principally
to DORIS unceasing efforts y; and that
DoRR will be honored, as one of the
great men of the State, even by statue
in the State House
AS DoRR was convicted of high treason
and sentenced to Imprisonment for life
in 1874, Governor GARv1N's proposition
has caused some surprise among the
Rhode Island conservatives. A general
amnesty act let DoRR out Of Jail in ls47,
and his civil rights were given back
to him in 1851; and in 1854, the year
of his death, the Legislature took
upon itself to reverse his condemna-
ton, an attempt brutally frustrated
by the Supreme Court. All this marks
a reaction and shows an undeniable
popular sympathy. The passions stirred
by DORIS rebellion have been cold
for nearly fifty years. The man is but
a dim name to most of us, outside Of
Rhode Island and the Providence Plan
tations. 1t is an age of historical para
doxes and rehabilitations; but does DoRR,
technically and actually traitor, de-
serve statue because his motives were
or are supposed to be patriotic or because
some of his ideas have been Incorporated
into the Rhode Island Constitution in
peaceful, legal and Constitutional way,
not by an unauthorized popular con-
vention and rising?
DoRR was a Providence man, edu-
Gated at Harvard. who read law in the
office of Chancellor KENT and practised
it in his native town He began his DO
litical career as Federalist member of
the Assembly in 1888, but turned Demo-
crat in 1887 and showed the zeal of the
convert. The government of Rhode
Island had not then been altered to suit
the new conditions and the general
Democratic tendency toward equality
and manhood suffrage. 1t followed sub
,oll go h. ~
by CHARLES III. Only the owners of real
estate to the value of Sl34, and their
eldest sons, had the right to vote. About
two-thirds of the citizens we're thus
DISTINGUISHED. Clearly, the restrictions
were unjust and absurd: but similar re-
strictons had existed in other States
and had been peacefully abolished. 1t
was monstrously unfair that the 5000
inhabitants Of Newport should have six
members of the Assembly, while nearly
three times as many people in Provi-
dence had only four. But there have
been and are striking inequalities OF
representation in Connecticut, yet no.
body there thinks of following the meth
DDS ultimately adopted by DoRR.
He was IN the thlrtles; ambitious,
we may be sure patriotic. ard sincere,
we are willing to believe; evidently a
little hot-headed. Here was a genuine
popular grievance and the opportunity
Of a rising young politician. AT first
DoRR tried legitimate means. He
worked in the Assembly for an improved
Constitution. Seven votes, just one
tenth, were all the support he got. Then
he formed suffrage party" In 1871
this suffrage party did curious thing
1t called State Constitutional Conven-
ton. which duly or unduly assembled,
made Constitution and submitted it to
the people. The Dorr partisans were sure