The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-10-20
STILL UP TO GOV. UTTER.


Never have the dominant issues in the pres
ent campaign been more clearly, eloquently and
convncingly discussed than at the Democratic
rally last evening in Westerly, the home of Gov
ernor Utter. Never have the infamies OF Bray
tonism been more mercilessly laid bare or more
unsparingly denounced; but there two de-
velopments at that meeting that cannot fail to
challenge the thoughtful consideration of every
open-minded citizens of Rhode Island.
First, there the branding absolute
falsehood the statement made by an irresponsible
individual and given currency by Braytonism s
mendacious newspaper mouthpiece that Colonel
Goddard is an enemy of labor, that he fought the
ten-hour law and that he had once declared that
he bought his labor as he bought his cotton"
That audacious lie was nailed, and nailed for
good and all, when the candidate at whom it was
aimed, who has never either for personal
profit or political preferment resorted to fasehood
or deception declared II wish to take this oppor
tunity to pronounce all OF these statements or
charges unqualified falsehoods, devised to injure
me- or, what is much more to the point, to injure
the cause of honest government in this state which
!, in part, represent"
AS between a citizen whose honorable and
upright public life of half century has been at
once the pride and the inspiration of his fellow
citizens and a urged to wanton and reckless
disregard of truth by newspaper maintained by
Braytonsm for the manufacture and dissemination
of mendacity. there need be doubt 70 whom
the decent and loyal people of this commonwealth
will believe.
Second there was reteraton by Mayor Hg
gins of his challenge to his opponent, Governor
Utter to make direct and definite declaration as
to whether, in the event of his reelection, he will
the powers of his official position to drive Bray
ton from the state house, and the further demand
that Governor Utter declare what candidate for
the United States senate he favors
Mayor Higgins is fully justified in insisting
that his opponent shall be explicit and frank in
declaring his position on these two matters, which
are of vital concern to the electors There is no
disposition to treat Governor Utter unfairly, no
intention to misrepresent either his words or his
action but so long he refuses to denounce Bray
tonism as the evil and corrupt thing he must
know it to be- until he pledges himself to every
honorable and proper means to thrust Brayton
and his miserable merchandising out of the state
house, and until he declares whether he is for Wet
for Colt as the representative Of Rhode
Island in the United States senate the people will
regard him the friend of Braytonism and willing
to become the beneficiary of its disreputable and
disgraceful political practices.
During the two years he has filled the guber-
Material Office Governor Utter could not have failed
to witness Brayton's scandalous operations, is
it conceivable he could have blinded himself to
them even if with set purpose he tried to do
The shameless practices of the boss aroused
the indignation of even those who paid only occa-
sona visits TO the state house. How is it possible
then that they should have escaped the attention
and the knowledge of the executive whose duties
require his presence there practically every secular
day in the year3
Weak as Governor Utter has been in tolerating
without murmur and without protest such shame
full conditions is he not exposing himself to the
charge Of pusillanimity by failing to boldly
denounce them and by pledgng himself, IL returned
TO Office to do his utmost to root them out9
His policy heretofore has been one of passvity
and it is just that of policy that permits a
vulgar and conscienceless boss 10 shame decen,
citizens by establishing an auction room for the
sale of legislation in the temple of legislation itself
Governor Utter has let Brayton and Brayton-
ism alone, which is all they want, and all they ask
Braytonsm, like the burglar, simply asks to be
free from interference-the resents interference
with It's dabolic debauchery of the ballot and mon