The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-09
Lincoln SteffenS on COrrup-
ton in Politics.
SYSTEM OF RHODE ISLAND
How commercial AristOcracy Corrupted
the Good American Stock of State
and Laid Foundation of Financial
aud Political System.

h0ucStE asks Lincoln SIek1eNs IA an I
article in McClure's Magazine for Feb (
ruary entitled Rhode IslandA State !
For Sale The "grafters" who bat /
ten on us say so. Politicians have ex-
cused their own corruption to me time +
and again by declaring that we're all I
corrupt" and promoters and swindlers /
alike describe their victims as smart |
folk who think TO beat us at our own !
game" without going into the cynie's T,
sweeping summary that imam always |
was and always viii be corrupt" it is |
but fair while we are following the
trail of the grafters to consider their
plea that the corrupt political system
they are upbuilding is founded on the
dishonesty Of the American people. ls
it2
1t Is in Rhode Island. The system
| Of Rhode Island which has produced
the man who is at the head Of the po-
litical system Of the United States is
grounded on the lowest layer of couup-
ton that have found thus far-the
bribery Of voters with cash at the polls.
4 Other states know the practice. In
wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois and Penn
syIyania workers are paid ito get
out the vote" but this is only prelim-
mary; the direct and decisive purchase
of power comes later in conventions
and legislatures. In these states the
corruptionists buy the peoples repre-
sentatives. In Rhode Island they buy
the people themselves
The conditions are peculiar AS the
Rhode islanders say, their state is
peculiar in many ways. But it is
American. The smallest Of the states,
it is one Of the biggest in our history.
| Poor In soil, it Is rich In waterways,
and the Rhode islanders, turning early
: from agriculture to manufacture, made
goods which they sent forth from their
magnificent harb0r to all the world In
Z ships that brought home cargoes Of
wealth. One Of the New England
group of colonies, Rhode Island was
! founded as a refuge from the Puritan
' intolerance of Massachusetts,. One Of
e the eoriginal thirteen states" It was
i the flrst (Aday A. 1870 to declare its In
4 dependence Of Great Britain and The
I, last (AIay %, 1890 to give allegiance q
: the United States So the American
7 spirit Of commercial enterprise and 20
"a litieal independence has burned high II
Rhode Island. There il nothing pc
/ culiar about that, and there is nothing
o peculiar about the general result OF ths
corruption Of the state.
n Rhode Island is an oligarchy. But &
\ were Wisconsin and Illinois and Mis-
7 souri,, and SO are New York, Pennsyl
Z vania and New Jersey. The ollgarchl
Z is the typical form Of the actual gov
( eminent OF our states. There is ont
q regularity about the Rhode Island oil
e garchy. however 1t is constitutional
le The oligarehies Of other states wer
IS grated upon constitutional dernocra
e cies. Rhode Island never was 4 dem
p ocracy. and ia that peculiarly lies tn
] peculiar significance Of this state to t.
rest OF us.
n Rhode Island has a restricted sui
Ia frage. Many good American think
K. that If we could keep the ignoran
Se foreigner from voting and otherwis
lg limit the suffrage to persons Of prof
erty who would have direct persona
p financial interest in government "
z then should have good government
" Should weg Rhode Island can 9nswC
Is that question Again. many thinkers
81 have thought that it was the wicle
rs cities with their mixed population
~ which have degraded and disgraced
and that If we could but devise SOL
scheme OF representation by which u
balance Of power could be given in
y the honest hands Of the good old Anne
lia lean stock ont upon the healthy coni
on trvside we then should be save
81 Rhode Island has such a scheme 81
.he significance to the rest Of rs Of q
iaf story Of Rhode Island lies in the "a
~ that its essentially typical eonditlo
was reached under extraordinary g
cumstances which some leading 81
!. zensr III other states think would 60
rect their evils.
Lending citizens" have made Rbo'
Island what it is. They always ha'
ruled there. | have called the sta
81, an olirarchy. 1t used to be an ar
*. tocracy. "Freeholders' and their e.
y
W est sons alone participated ~ 4
colonial government under the chart
~ Of Charles IL, and after the Revol
g. ton. when all the other states adopt
AT constitutions, Rhode Island went
lER under its royal charter Of 1868 and
Lea ..unwritten constitution" till 1912.
mlsh cannot stop to describe this land
a III Il aristocracy' in an American state
y ~ Ia sufficient that it closed with
: We Dorr rebellion. The abuses were SO
,sds tolerable that the people, the pats
iinr American people who have submit
|. 4. to Croker Quay, Cox and other q
naat. pots. rose In open revolt
lbs The next experiment was q "eo
q mercial arlstocracy." The constitute
.sm. 81 1s42 extended the suffrage r.
oaas holders Of real to those also posse
AisA ed Of personal property " they "
4sHtftH