The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-13
WEDNESDAY, JUNE I3, 1906.
HARMONY AT ANY PRICE.

Significant indeed was the action OF the Repub-
lican state central committee at ITS meeting on
Monday on the request of the majority OF the Re-
publican city committee OF Newport feF the dis
qualification of the committee representing the
First ward
The charge against the ward committee was
that it had "dickercd" with the political enemy
the Democrats and Independents, who are allies in
the crusade for reform and for good government
and therefore deserved the chastsement OF expul-
sion for its dsloyalty.
Grave enough was the accusation and at an
other time and under different conditions it would
Il proven, have led to the prompt disciplining OF
a committee that dared do otherwise than as the
machine ordered and decreed.
But there was no condemnation, much less
disqualification OF the First ward committee; nor
was there even the mildest attempt at criticism
of its course in the vote passed by the state COM
mittee.
In the opinion Of this committee il was "inex-
pedient to take any action at that time The
First ward committee remains in office, and the city
committee that sought its overthrow must nurse its
chagrin in silence.
But why was it "inexpedient" to take up the
case and decide it upon its merits? Need any OBJ
servant citizen be told it was because the Repub-
lican state committee, the Republican machine and
rank and file Of the Republican party, thoroughly
alarmed at the magnitude of the movement for re-
FORM dare not permit an examination into charges
of disoyalty lest the result be TO create still more
bitter factonal feeling and promote still more costly
dsaffection?
There are divisions in the Republican ranks
wider than have existed in score OF years Men
who have been the wheehorses on the Republican
wagon who have served the party with unfaltering
LOYALTY are today the critics OF its leader
ship and its management
Toward that leadership and that management
there is spirit of hostility not likely to content
itself with 'murmurings and protests but which
threatens at any moment to manifest itself in open
and active revolt
With conditions within the party SO porten-
tious of weakening internecine warfare; with con-
ditions without so omnous OF party peril, the Re-
publican machine finds itself confronted by situa-
ton that demands all It's strategy, all its cunning
and all its craft to deal with il it would avert the
disaster that menaces it.
This is the explanation OF the state commit
tees action on the Newport Nothing that
will tend to make new breaches will be permitted; !;
every energy and every resource must be brought
to bear to close existing ones.
The Republican machine knows that IN the
present campaign it must hight the hardest batte
it ever fought il realizes that for the first time
in decades it will be opposed by united, enthusi-
astic and determined Democracy and an independ-
ent citizenship equally enthusiastic and determined
SO it seeks harmony at any price, at the price
even OF condoning disloyalty and permitting it to
pass without censure or rebuke
Desperate must be the situation OF the Repub-
lican machine and great its fear that disaster awaits
il in November.