The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-06-15
COLT AND WETm0RE
SUPPORTERS ARE TRYING
HARD TO "HARM0N|zE'

quired defense rather than eulogy. The
machine. with this "stop-ga chair
man at its head, has gone on its way
apparently needless Of the wrath to
come and ignoring the evident signs
that the people were rising in their
Indignant desire for reform.
CHAIRMAN POwERLESS.
Tne chairman, OF course, is power
less. as he is not even n member OF
the committee, and. unlike the secre-
tary' cannot meet with the executive
body which Is. next 10 cash. the ma
chimes heart and soul Even on this
BODY however, there are few men
VINO believe that the time is ripe for
REFORMS and that the Republican party
should erect the reforms. The very
first step, they believe. TO this end
would be to lop off about a dozen per-
niciously active politicians who have
iIreconeilably offended all the decent
elements
Col. Gross friends 10 not believe that
ne would stand for the gang" element
among those with whom he is by force of
circumstances associated politically for a
moment longer than IL would be possible
10 get rid OF them. They argue that he
mas remained In the hope Of helping in the
reform and will stay only until hope OF
reform becomes useless The same is true
or some OF the leaders OF the general as
sembly who were most prominent on ths
Colt side last winter. They are loyal Re-
publicans, believe In majority rule. and
were for Col. Colt because they really
preferred him to ex-senator Wetmore.
and he did have majority OF the Repub-
lican assemblymen on his side. But they
would welcome an opportunity TO rid
themselves and the Republican party of
the Incubus OF the traders and tralfick-
ers who have sought to make the state
house and the cities and towns where they
hold forth money-changing temples.
places of barter and sale This anti-gane
element. even In the Colt ranks. is very
strong, and II was strongly hinted at the
opening of the senatorial campaign last
winter that 1t had the sympathy Of Col.
Colt himself
LOYAL COOPERATION.
Now that the Wetmoreites have been
the first to declare for decent proceedings
and against corrupting Democratic eau
cuses through Hessian treacbery these
Republicans on the Colt side do not pro-
pose, II is understood, to cease their ac-
tfvities In the interest OF reform within
the party ranks and let the wetmoreites
reap all the credit for such reform as may
be brought about. They argue that the
party can be reformed only through the
loyal cooperation OF all the decent ele-
ments within II. as the grafters and time
servers and place seekers have gotten
such hold that no factional strife can
possibly shake them of. They say that
majority of the Colt men are really In ths
reform class and that no affectation of
superior virtue by the Wetmoreites can
alter the fact that the Colt contingent
represented by themselves were the orig
inal party reformers and foes OF that kind
OF bossism and party management which
Brayton has so long represented.
Now they see an excellent chance for
retrieving. their party's vanishing for
tunes and unloading the grafters and
they are willing TO cooperate with the
wetmoreites who believe in this policy
and will act accordingly