The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-24
IMMEDIATE AND IMPERATIVE.

Registration is progressing satisfactorily the
total of $40 names the list when the office Of
the board OF canvassers closed yesterday afternoon
being 7o7 in excess of the total for the correspond
ing date last year. Gratifying as this showing un-
doubtedy is, it must be remembered that there are
yet some 1900 or $4,000 men in Providence who
can vote registry, but who have not yet regis
tered.
Those who qualify themselves as electors
by registration are largely wageworkers and it is
particularly important that they should equip
themselves to cast ballot next November in order
that they may be able to assist in the patriotic work
on finally rescung Rhode Island from the clutches
OF an evil and corrupt machine and in the no less
patriotic work of giving state what it has not
had for decades-real representative government
Then, too, workngmen should regard it as a
special duty to register that they may have the op-
portunity of chastisng those who have fouted their
measures in the general assembly and treated their
reasonable petitions with contempt
The common enemy to be destroyed by the aid
of the votes of all good citizens next November is
Braytonism, and Braytonism is and has been the
greatest foe to honest labor and its interests that
ever gained ascendancy in this commonwealth
Review the entire history of Braytonism's
result will show that they have been deceitful and
dishonest. Many fair promises have been made
only to be broken. Openly aid has been promised,
only to be followed by secret hostility. Legislative
measures designed to ameliorate the condition of
labor have either been suppressed in committee
or, if passed, emasculated as to render them of
little or no real value.
1t is the habit of Republicans in their conven-
tions to indulge in platitudinous sef-praise for
what they have done for the wageworkers but a
scrutiny of their record in this respect shows that
they have done nothing of particular value save
when spurred to do it by Democratic nsistence or
by the fear of chastsement at the hands of the
wageworkers among the electorate.
And some of the legislation for which Repub-
cans claim credit gives little practical assistance
to labor Take the factory inspection law as an
example. Of what earthly value has it been to
labor as it is enforced by Braytonisms inspectors
None at all
There is in the statutes ten-hour law for
street railway employees, but it is only mockery,
since all the virtue and vitality it originally pos
sessed were taken from it by an amendment passed
by supne legislature at the orders of Braytonism
No intelligent wageworker need be told the
fate of the eighthour bills introduced in their be-
half The presented in the assembly of 1905
was deliberately strangled by the committee on
special legislation because Braytonism so COM
manded. A similar introduced in the
legislature Tor the present year met fate not a
whit better.
Many other labor measures strongly urged
by the wageworkers of the state and supported by
the Democrats and Independents in the assembly
that came to close recently, not enacted into
law for the reason that Braytonism's order was
that they should not be enacted
These facts the intelligent wageworker
should seriously ponder; they facts that ought
to induce him to qualify himself as an elector in
order that he may secure legislation to which he is
entitled and the full rights that belong to every
American citizen.
These he is now denied because Braytonism
has been enabled to usurp almost despotic powers,
under an ancient and archaic constitution That
constitution Braytonism wants retained; every
honest citizen wants it rewritten and made ade-
quate to the needs of the commonwealth by con-
vention in which all the people shall be fairly and
equitably represented.
Rhode Islands tens OF thousands of toilers
can give substantial assistance in bringing about
this fundamental reform by registering now and
voting for Democratic and Independent candidates
for the general assembly next November
Registration, therefore is the immediate and
imperative duty OF every citizen whose capital is
his labor and who realizes the heavy and unjust
burdens Braytonism has imposed upon him.