Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-25
AFTER EASY BOSS"
RHODE ISLAND GOVERNOR TRIES
TO GUST GENERAL BRAYToN.

| PROVIDENCE, r. l., February 25-
While the remainder of the country takes
| Meeting interest in the dispatch announcing
the fifteenth or the twenty-fifth unsuccess-
| ful ballot for United States senator by the
Rhode Island general assembly, residents Of
| the state are watching far more bitter
and interesting battle.
This Is the struggle between the demo-
cratic governor. James II. Higgins, who, at
| the age of thirty, took possession of the
executive chamber last month, and General
Charles R. Brayton, republican boss of the
state. the acknowledged head and chief
captain of the Swiss mercenaries of Rhode
| Island politics." as he was called in a news
paper article twenty-one years ago. Today,
Wnen ne is sixty-seven and blind, his title
| still clings to him.
In the opinion of many Rhode Island peo-
pie the senatorship is of less Importance
IMAM the struggle between these two men
whether the incumbent, George Peabody
Wetmore, retains his seat or whether Sam.
uel fomeroy Colt, president of the United
states Rubber Company and the rival re-
puolcan candidate, takes his place or
whether 1t goes to Robert Hale Ives Cod
dard, representative of the old Rhode Is
iand arlstocracy and compromise candidate
OF the democrats and mugwumps or wheth-
er dark horse slides in on a consolidation
OF the republican vote is to the average
Rhode Islander a matter of smaller inter-
est. i
what really matters is whether Governor
;lssnls can carry out his announced ambi-
sioh 10 drlve General Brayton from the Of
nee ne mas long occupied in the Rhode Is
lano state house. That leads to the i'm
grip?" --''
Ruled Since Civil War.
Ever since the civil war General Brayton
mas oeen the controlling influence in Rhode
lsiaho politics Born at Opponaug, this
state IN 1910, of a distinguished Rhode Is
ifand family-hs grandfather was chief
ia.erce Oh me court of common pleas and
iater supreme court justice-he had fin
!sheu Two years of college course AZ
broWn University when the war broke ont
and he enlisted o'
.,,s n.a . as lieutenant of artillery, he
r %.s plolloted TO captaincy for merit and
id'er was breVetted brigadier general A.
the close of the war he was made most
master at Milton Head, S. c., refused a
eaP.aHicy IN the regular army returned
north and in 1874 was made postmaster at
Providence. at
He held this office until 1885, During the
Years ne heid the office he had been exer-
cislnS TO the full his genius for political
management. From that day to this he
mas neen the dominant political factor in
the state. "
Three democrats have sat in the execu
tive chair during that time. but never with
a friendly assembly at their backs. and
they have been unable to effect reforms.
The last public office of consequence held
by Gen. Brayton was that of chief of the
state police, created as tail to a prohibi-
tory law passed in 1886 The office carried
! salary of $4,000. Illicit selling f1ourished
Gen. Brayton resigned his office and worked
openly. and 1t may be added SUCCESSFULLY
for the defeat of prohibition.
Picked Out His Throne.
When the new SO, zoo, 900 state house was
opened five years ago Gen. Brayton estab-
lished himself in a chair in the corner Of
the office allotted to the sheriff of Provi-
dence county. and there he has stuck From
this chair he has directed legislation; in it
he has given audience to seekers of favor
and passed sentences on those who showed
signs of independence. 1t is from this chair
that Gov. Higgins is now trying to separate
the old boss.
Providence newspaper, which assigns a re-
porter to keep daily record of Gen. Bray
toms life while he occupies his seat in room
207. He has been absent only three or four
days since the session began.
Gov. Higgins has been active I'm the
war as his Office permits. He appealed to
the state house commission to pass an order
directing the sheriff to refuse Objectionable
characters a resting place in his office. To
this the commission answered that II did
not believe 1t had the power to say who
should be admitted to individual offices at
the state house.
The same end was sought by the intro
duction of a bill in the assembly. 1t was
Immediately tabled.
Another bill was offered in the house d.
recting the jamestown exposition commits
sion to order it's executive secretary, George
NJ Kingsbury, to refrain from associating
with Gen. Brayton. The point of this Is
that during the last three years or so Mr..
Kingsbury has attached himself to the gen.
eral as companion.
This bill also was tabled Mr.. Kings
bury's. comment thereon was:
Amt that a corker"
General is Standing Pat.
And there the matter stands. Meanwhile
the fight for the senatorship goes on, and
on it's course to date some observers base
their belief that for the first time in these
many years Gen. Brayton has been unable
to deliver the goods. They believe that had
he been able he would have wound the
thing up, as he expresses it, some time
ago.
In appearance Gen. Brayton is a large
man. six feet tall or upward, with a heavy
frame and a striking face. His blindness
Is the result of cataracts and of about four
years standing.
For an absolute boss it cannot be denied
that he has been an easy one. His osten-
sible business is that of attorney at law,
and as such he receives retainers from cor
porations in need of legislation. His rates
are understood to be low.
During his regime the state has been and
today is prosperous The new state house,
the largest individual state job of recent
years. was erected without suggestion of
scandal. There Is no suspicion of q general
looting of the treasury. Brayton, while re-
moved from want, is not a rich man in the
modern acceptance of the term.