The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-10-30
THE RUIN OF A REPUTATION.

Never have the people of Rhode Island been
called upon to witness more ptiable spectacle
than that presented by Governor George II. Utter
as he sits amid the wreckage of his reputation and
pulingly pleads that he once more be returned to
an office in which, by his abect confession, he
has been false to the state and dsoyal to its cti-
zenship
Political regulations have before this suffered
grievously from the righteous assaults of we'll
armed adversaries, but never has any candidate in
any campaign in this or any other commonwealth
completely destroyed his own standing and re-
vealed himself puerile and so pusillanimous as
did Governor Utter in his confession and recanta-
ton at Central Falls last night.
Out of his own mouth he has convicted himself.
not only of treachery to the people who reposed
trust in him. but he has shown that his adherence
of the niquities of boss rule has been largely an
empty pretence and his brave procamations of in
dependence only hollow sham.
Out Of his mouth is he condemned as a
craven by his own deliberate words is he pilloried
in shame and disgrace whited sepulchre.
Until he uttered those discriminating and self
accusing words last night there were still people
here in Rhode Island who believed George II. Ut
ter was sincere and that the worst that could be
charged against him failure to realize the mag
nitude of the mischief and evil of Braytonism.
Today there is not within the confines of the
commonwealth citizen whose respect for him has
not been turned to scorn, whose regard has not
been transformed into contempt.
Throughout the campaign Governor Utter has
paraded what he has been pleased to regard his
spotleSs political character. On every platform on
which he has spoken he made proclamation that
during his twenty years of official life he has been
true to the people and served them and their inter-
ests solely. At Infantry hall and in many other
places since he has repeated this declaration in
to the charge that he had tolerated and there
fore abetted Eraytonism:
WANT TO SAY ONCE MORE. AND THIS
WILL CLOSE MY PERSONAL REFERENCES,
THAT THE ONLY PLEDGE THAT { HAVE TO
RHODE ISLAND, AND The ONLY THING
REFER you AS TO THE TRUTH AND SIM
cERITY THAT PLEDGE.
TWENTY YEARS OF nv LIFE, MUCH OF
WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN UP TO THE SER
VICE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.
AND WITH WHICH SOME OF you ARE
FAMILIAR ENouoH TO KNOW THAT THERE
NOT ONE ioTA, NOT A SHADOW OF A
CHARGE OF THAT KIND THAT CAN BE
TO NY DOOR.
Against the SNUG self-laudation, that sanct-
monious preachment of righteousness place the dec
laraton Of the same man when, inexorably pursued
by the demand of the people to denounce the boss,
If he dare, he threw pretence to the winds cast off
the garment OF political purity in which he had
paraded and pronounced himself cowardly pre-
tender in this self-framed indictment:
SERIOUS CHARGES ARE BEING MADE
AGAINST THE METHODS PASSING LEG.
tsLArioN IN THIS STATE UNDER
DIRECTION OF so-cALLeD BOSS. MANY
THE CHARGES ARE EXAGGERATED AND
SOME OF THEM ARE TRUE. THIS BEING
THe CASE. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OWES
IT TO ITSELF TO RID ITSELF CAUSE.
IT 10 TRUE THAT
BEEN LEADER HAS COME TO REGARD
HIMSELF AS AN OWNER, is TIME
rHE REPUBLICAN PARTY SOMETHING
TO TURN THIS OUT.
Z HAVE BEEN PARTLY FALSE TO nv
THAT I HAVE CONTENT TO
FREE FROM THIS INFLUENCE MYSELF
TO REMAIN QUIET. rs TIME WE
FACED THIS THING kND CLEANED " OUT
IT 10 nv eouNogN DUTY PLEAD FOR
rHG REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THEREFORE,
THAT ONE CHARLES n BRAYroN HAS
COME TO OCCUPY PLACE WHICH
MENACE TO rHE BEST INTERESTS or THE
STATE RHODE ISLAND.
WANT TO soLEmNLY PLEDGE TO you
roNioNr THAT WHETHER AN ELECTED
AExr. TUESDAY Oh AN NOT ELECTED