Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
Rhode Island Party Managers
Predict Big Plurality.
POSSIBLE EXCEPTION
HEAD OF THE STATE TICKET MAY
BE DEFEATED.
Overwhelming Percentage of Popula-
ton is Foreign and It is Large
ly for Roosevelt.

Special From STAFF Correspondent
PROVIDENCE, r. l., October 28.-Rhode
Island will give Roosevelt handsome plu-
rality. The republican state and legislative
ticket, with the possible exception of the
head of the state ticket, will be elected. The
second congressional district is safely re-
publican and the first district we'll the
republicans have hopes of it, also Senator
Aldrich is safe. In the last gubernatoral
election a democratic governor, L. F. c..
Garvin, was elected and a republican lieu
tenant governor and state officers chosen at
the same time. That anomaly was due to
the personal strength of Garvin with the
working classes. 1t may happen again,
although the feeling is strong among re-
publicans who know what is going on that
1t VIII not happen this time
The political situation in this state is
lively and interesting. There is no apathy
mere There is so much steam that they
have to sit on the safety valve to keep it
from wasting. The campaign is full of
color and red blood. 1t has many bizarre
and grotesque features as we'll as impor-
tant. Up here it is the same old story of
Roosevelt's popularity He has the first
voters roped, thrown and branded with the
| ''T. R."brand. The Catholic vote is COM
ing to him with rush. Close on to 90
per cent of the vote of Rhode Island is
Catholic and heretofore has been largely
democratic. 1t will divide on the state tick
ct. but is for Roosevelt on the national
ticket.
An old-fashioned fire works and torchlight
campaign is on. They have parades every
night or two with men in uniform, bearing
torches and burning red fire. One big man
ufacturing concern here turned out 500 in
III, line In republican parade the other night.
They have rallies and speeches and a regu-
lar hooray-boys time Then they all go
out afterward and drink ale and eat lob
sters. The manufacturing towns are pros
porous; everybody who needs to work is
at work. money is plentiful and they spend
1t. Providence is an expensive place to
live in, prices being much higher than in
middle state cities and the excuse is that
times are good and people are willing to
pay the prices. beside creating demand.
State Campaign is Brisk.
The state campaign is brisk. the result Of
| the vigorous fight which Governor Garvin
is making for reelection. He gathers in
the socialists. the populists, the democrats
and reaches out for the Independent and
mugwump vote. He is a single-taxer. ad-
vocates the initiative and referendum, and
goes and goes after votes on pretty much
any kind of platform that the republicans
may have overlooked. Eugene Debs is COM
Ing up shortly before the campaign to rally
the socialists away from him. Rhode Island
has mixed population with an overwhelm-
ing percentage of foreigners. French Ca
nadians. Italians, Portuguese, Poles and
newly arrived Irish furnish the principal
quota of foreigners.
1t is not to be denied that they are partial
to the democratic ticket, and with the ex-
ception of the intelligent Irish, readily alb
sorb Garvin'S ideas.
The burning state issue is the question
of changing the representation in the legs-
lature. The state senate is made up on the
theory of the United States Senate, the
representation being based on political
units. An Incorporated town which casts
10 votes has the same representation in
the Senate as Providence. The lower body
has a modified form of representation.
The legislature which Is to be elected this
| fall will vote upon submission to the people
of constitutional amendment that will
preserve the present system of representa-
ton for the senate, but will ease up the
representation in the lower body. Governor
Garvin wants constitutional convention
that will revise the whole system and put
| the two bodies of the legislature on an
equal bass of representation. He is max
| ing radical appeals to the vote of the big
towns for that change.
The argument made against the Garvin
plan is that the present organization of the
senate is safeguard for the people of the
small towns against the preponceratng and
hybrid vote of Providence. II Garvin's
ideas should prevail the city of Providence