The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1905-04-20
ListIe abody.

Listte Rhody.
Rhode Island has been always anti
Democratic, with now and then an ex-
ception. She is Republican now. She
may be taken as typical Republican
state, but nevertheless the Washington
Post-Independent rises to remark:
That the grent little state of Rhode
1sland-great In business and wealth. lit
tie only in size-has an unenviable. repu-
tation as a theater of exceptional un-
.cieanncss In politics and gross unfairness
In government Is an unpleasant but, un-
fortunately, IN indisputable fact. But the
prevalent impression that this deplorable
situation IL an innovation. a result of
causes that are operating with increased
force In these times, Is utterly and to-
tally erroneous. One need not go back In
Rhode Islands history moro than fifty
years to find conditions vastly worse than
those Of today. Instead of getting fur
ther and further into the muck and mre
OF corruption and the gross misgovern-
ment produced by II the state has made
considerable progress In the reverse direc-
tion. II those refortiers whether anna
teurs or professionals, who point to
Rhode leland as proof OF their pesslmistic
notion that the country Is going to 'the
demnition bowwows'' would read up that
states political history in the newspapers
they would come upon gubernatorial cam
paigns In which vote buying was openly
carried on without fear or risk of interfer-
ence, would come upon elections In which
agents of the candidates for governor
stood by the polls with large supplies OF
bank notes exposed and bargained. and
paid for votes. Old residents OF the state
know all this to be true. But neither In
Rhode Island nor in any other state-not
even In the tiny commonwealth that, has
been degraded by the shameful methods OF
Addicls-is there open public bribery OF
voters In these days, =.
The Whig party In its rule of Rhode
Island was incomparably moro reckless
and unclean In its practices than Is its
successor. the Republican organization.
Tho old time Democratic party was no
better than its competitor. Each of them
was regarded by the best citizens OF New
England as an awful example and was
utilized in that way.
There happen to be several states IN
which decency ~ having tussle with
political corruption. There have been
charges and In some instances proof of
boodling by Legislators and other officials
As In the case of Rhode Island, these lam
entable occurrences are cited as evil
dences OF decadent virtue. but the fact il
the great Indignation excited by such in.
cidents, the stern denunciation they re-
ceive and the effort made to bring boo
dlers and corruptionists to punishment are
proofs of wholesome progress. Onenses
that escaped unpleasant notoriety In
earlier times now cause the ruin Of the
offenders. Political morality, like per-
sonal morality, has made great progress
since the days of our grandfathers. THE
states as whole, have moved onward
and upward. Rhode Island has shared in
the general advance, and. although still
far back toward the rear OF the process
sion, she may not remain In that relative
position. II II be true that extremes meet
II Is almost time for the extreme political
depravity that obtains IN Delaware and
Rhode Island to collide with antipoda
conditions and by the force of the com.
pact send them to the van of the process.
sion OF the forty-five progressive states.
The election Of Mr. Hemenway, late
chairman of the appropriation con1
mittee Of the house, to the senate Is
likely to cause q reorganization Of that
great committee. BY promotion ant
by defeat 1t was much depleted. Hem
enway and Burkett go to the senate
They are both Republicans. Bentol
Of Missouri and Pierce of Tennes
see, both Democrats, We're defeated
Pierce for nomination and Benton fol
election. Hemenway was jumped owe
the heads Of two or three OF hi.
seniors The question: now puzzlinl
many minds Is whether Mr.. Speake
Cannon. will jump some other membe
Of that committee to the chairmanshi,
or go out of 1t TO find chairman. Nou.
verrons. -.
!, The insufferable rot is being agaii
talked to the effect that this or tina
man is too big for the vice presidency
Surely I'M office which John Adams
Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Burel
and John c. Calhoun did not conside
beneath their dignity is fairly goot
office to hold. Many who are protest
ing that they wouldn't touch the Vic
presidency with forty foot pole woult
jump at chance to get 1t, for llttl
knowledge OF arithmetic will teach
vice president that his chances of be
colning president through the death o
his chief are five out Of twenty-nin
and his chances Of being elected presi
dent are four out, of twenty nine
chances not to be sneezed at.
"The early bird catches the worm
is a proverb old and frequently quoted
1t seems to be applicable in the presen
state Of presidential politics. Severa
| gentlemen more or less qualified ar
grooming themselves and being groom
ed by their friends for the Whit
House. 1t is said that some Of then
already have their agents out In til
south trying to corral the delegates
What a waste of time and money! 4
southern Republican, delegate corralle
now to be delivered three years henc
would be about as valuable as q shar
OF stock In a comIany organized I
extract sunbeams out of cucumbers
What getter OF southern Republica
delegates needs to do Is not only I
corral them. but to collar them and I
hold on TO them like grim death unit
the national convention adjourns witt
out day. One of my most brilllan
constituents. the late Nat @. Dryder
was wont to say that "a bird In til
hand is the noblest work Of God"
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